Gail Long: Leveraging Buffini Coaching To Top Realtor

REE #255 Transcript

[00:00:00] Gail Long: The more you work on yourself, the better you'll be, not only as a business owner, but as a realtor—to be able to help buyers and sellers manage their emotions, things like that. So I think having that consistency of personal development information coming in is very important.

[00:00:51] Tracy Hayes: Hey, welcome back to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast. Today, we have an incredible guest who has built a reputation as one of the top realtors in Northeast Florida. Since moving to the First Coast in 2011, she has fully embraced the Jacksonville and St. Augustine lifestyle, bringing that same passion into her real estate business.

A Florida native, she understands the unique charm of this area—from the beaches to the St. Johns River—and has helped countless buyers and sellers navigate the market with confidence.

With a strong background in negotiation, [00:01:20] years of top-producing success, and recognition at the highest levels in her brokerage, she's an agent who consistently delivers results. Her commitment to excellence, communication, and strategy has made her a go-to professional in the industry.

If you want to learn from one of the best—whether you're an agent looking to elevate your business or a buyer/seller in search of expert guidance—this episode is for you. Let's welcome Gail Long to the show.

[00:01:45] Gail Long: Hey, thank you so much.

[00:01:46] Tracy Hayes: Thank you for coming down. I appreciate you coming in. I'm really interested today in digging in—what are you doing?

There's a lot of commonality among top-producing agents, but yet everyone in this business does it a little differently.

[00:02:01] Gail Long: Well, thank you for having me on. I'm super excited. Honestly, I am not inventing the wheel. I got into the Buffini system. I started two weeks into real estate, and that is how I run my business—relationship- and referral-based. And that is my focus.

[00:02:19] Tracy Hayes: You—right off the bat, you were into Buffini?

[00:02:23] Gail Long: Yes, because Wendy Griffith, who has been on this podcast before—we were with the same brokerage at the time. And while we weren't in the same office, she came to a monthly meeting to say she had an upcoming class that she was teaching for Peak Producers.

[00:02:40] Tracy Hayes: Because she's part of Buffini—she’s a trainer and coach.

[00:02:42] Gail Long: Yeah. So, I didn't have anything else going on, and, you know, I thought, okay. And I mean, just from the get-go, it was how I wanted to do business.

[00:02:53] Tracy Hayes: Light bulb went off, and it’s like—yes, I can do that.

[00:02:55] Gail Long: Yeah.

[00:02:55] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:02:56] Gail Long: And Wendy didn't have a choice—I said, "You're gonna be my mentor." And that's kind of what I've done. And, you know, I think that some people—I've been in real estate for 10 years now.

Some people get bored and start looking for other things, but it's just proven to be successful. So that’s what I keep doing.

[00:03:13] Tracy Hayes: Well, one of the things we're gonna talk about—and I should have prepped you, but you'll handle it fine—is consistency.

You found something—one, the light bulb went off. Two, you said, "I can do that." You saw yourself doing it. And now, I mean, the consistency over the years has proven fruitful.

[00:03:31] Gail Long: Correct. And, you know, sometimes I think I do things based on what I am attracted to—marketing-wise and everything like that. And I know that's not necessarily the best way because not everybody thinks like me.

For example, we do a monthly mail-out, and I’m not great—I don’t open the mail if it comes, especially, you know…

[00:03:59] Gail Long: All the personal touches—I, you know, I mail these things out, and I have not missed a month in 10 years.

[00:03:59] Tracy Hayes: Physical mail?

[00:04:00] Gail Long: Physical mail.

[00:04:00] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:04:01] Gail Long: But it has my real estate logo, the stamp, the return address.

[00:04:03] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:04:04] Gail Long: And on the back, it has the sticker: "I'm never too busy for your referrals."

So my thought is, even if they don't open it, month after month, they're seeing my name.

[00:04:15] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:04:16] Gail Long: So that is one of the things—just the consistency, the process of following their system. I don’t have to think about it.

[00:04:23] Tracy Hayes: Right. You hit on something that's very important.

I've had discussions with different people who say, "Oh, social media doesn’t work."

Okay, well, how do you measure that? Because, sure, some people have gotten direct messages from Instagram or Facebook.

[00:04:40] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:04:41] Tracy Hayes: And you don't even know who this person is. You could say, "Oh, they must have seen my social media."

But as we were discussing earlier, people use social media after they've already heard of you.

If they don’t know you and they’re coming from another area, they’re using social media to check: Who is this person?

Or they hear, “Gail’s a top agent in Northeast Florida.” Well, okay, who’s Gail? Let’s go look her up.

So you don’t always know whether a lead came directly from social media.

I think it was Josh Rogers who said, “Stop doing social media and see what happens.”

For example, in your case, do you know you’re getting business from the mailer? Stop doing the mailer and see what happens.

[00:05:20] Gail Long: Right. It’s a layering system. It’s not just the mailer. It’s the client parties, the handwritten notes, the staying in contact on a relationship basis.

I tell people at closing, You’re not done with me. You can’t get rid of me.

That’s one of the things—it’s not just a mailer. It’s the whole system of continuing to stay in contact. I tell them, I want to be your real estate resource.

[00:05:46] Tracy Hayes: Right. And to strengthen what you’re saying—I'm excited that you bought into a system.

You know, of all those parts you were just going over, someone might ask, “Well, is the handwritten card really making a difference?”

Or, “Is that mailer really working?”

Well, the only way to measure it would be to take it out. But why take it out if your business has actually grown?

Maybe you’re getting 10% from the mailers, 15% from handwritten cards—whatever the percentage, all these different pieces are working together.

Because you’re hitting people in multiple ways, through multiple mediums.

[00:06:18] Gail Long: Correct.

Like I mentioned, I’m not under the illusion that everybody opens every email or the monthly envelope that comes.

However, it’s the repetitiveness—seeing my name and knowing that consistency is there.

[00:06:32] Tracy Hayes: Exactly.

I love your attitude—when you first said, My stamp’s on the front, my little referral sticker’s on the back.

[00:06:40] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:06:40] Tracy Hayes: And whether they actually open that envelope at that time or not, they’re getting it.

[00:06:44] Tracy Hayes: How often are you sending them?

[00:06:45] Gail Long: Monthly.

[00:06:46] Tracy Hayes: Monthly.

[00:06:47] Gail Long: They’re getting it monthly.

[00:06:48] Tracy Hayes: And the moment they think of real estate, that’s all that matters.

You don’t care if they open it up and read, "Hey, the interest rates are this," because they’re not buying or selling right now.

But maybe, all of a sudden, that weekend at a barbecue, somebody says something about buying or selling, and they say, "Oh, well, you need to call Gail."

[00:07:01] Gail Long: Yes, absolutely.

[00:07:02] Tracy Hayes: Yeah. That is what it’s all about.

That’s a great story right there.

I’m going to take a moment so I don’t forget—want to talk about Remi Graphics.

They do these great mugs for me. You have a nice hot pink one in your gift bag there, Gail.

They do all sorts of laser-engraved gifts. They will actually do one-offs, so [visit] remigraphics.com, remigraphics.com.

So if you want to do some housewarming gifts, or you just want to make a couple for a couple—put their names on it, the address, whatever it is.

Obviously, the more you personalize it—

[00:07:36] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:07:37] Tracy Hayes: —they’re never going to throw that away.

[00:07:38] Gail Long: Yeah.

[00:07:39] Tracy Hayes: And they’ll always remember who gave it to them.

So, remigraphics.com for your laser-engraved gifts.

Alright, let’s go back and give everyone a basis of where Gail’s from.

You’re from Florida, but not Northeast Florida—is that correct?

[00:07:49] Gail Long: Yes.

I was born in Miami. My sister and I were both born in Miami, but then we moved to the Clearwater-Tampa area.

[00:07:56] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:07:57] Gail Long: Which I kind of feel like is similar to the St. Augustine-Jacksonville area.

We drove a bunch growing up. I went to private school in the Clearwater-Tampa area.

So, lived there, graduated from Tampa Prep, and then went to Florida State.

I met my now-husband, and we got married in 2002.

I got my master’s degree while he was still in school, so I didn’t want to look for a job elsewhere.

Then we bought our first home in Tallahassee, had our sons in Tallahassee, and his job brought us here in 2011.

[00:08:29] Tracy Hayes: Okay.

[00:08:30] Gail Long: So, kind of everywhere in Florida—except Orlando.

I feel like I’ve touched everywhere else throughout the state.

[00:08:35] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

So, when you were going to Florida State, what did you envision yourself doing?

What kind of career did you see yourself in?

[00:08:40] Gail Long: Well, my mother was a teacher, and I followed in her footsteps for a couple of reasons.

I think I’m a natural teacher, and I still use some of that guidance in my real estate career.

But I also liked that, as a mom, she was home during the summer, she drove us to our afterschool activities—

[00:08:52] Tracy Hayes: That was the lifestyle you saw yourself in.

[00:08:54] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:08:55] Tracy Hayes: So, did you actually get into teaching?

[00:08:56] Gail Long: I did.

Both my undergraduate and master’s degrees are in education, and I was a kindergarten teacher.

Then, the year my husband got transferred here, the real estate market was slow.

[00:09:07] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:09:08] Gail Long: So we said, "Okay, we’ll put our house on the market in Tallahassee, and hopefully by Christmas, we’ll transition."

He moved here in September, and we thought, Oh, by Christmas, we’ll sell the house, and I’ll finish out the school year with my kindergarten class.

I didn’t want to leave them mid-year.

But our house didn’t sell until May.

So, from September to May, we were on the market.

My oldest son was—

[00:09:45] Gail Long: My oldest son was five. I had a three-year-old.

And luckily, I mean, I don’t want to say it was so hard, because I know military families can’t see each other for months.

But I was trying to sell the house, being a teacher, and had a three- and five-year-old.

I was like, Alright, I’m done with teaching.

[00:09:50] Tracy Hayes: Was he coming home on the weekends?

[00:09:52] Gail Long: He did, yes.

[00:09:53] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:09:54] Gail Long: He came home during the fall. But then, when we were still in Tallahassee in the spring, we thought, Let’s learn about our new city.

So we started coming over here on the weekends.

[00:10:02] Tracy Hayes: Oh, smart.

[00:10:03] Gail Long: But at that point, I was like, I can’t get away from five-year-olds.

During the day, I was with my kindergarten students, then at home, I was with my son.

[00:10:11] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:10:12] Gail Long: So when we moved here, I was like, I don’t want to be a teacher anymore.

[00:10:16] Tracy Hayes: So when you left Tallahassee, was that the last time you taught?

[00:10:18] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:10:19] Tracy Hayes: Okay.

[00:10:20] Gail Long: And actually, I lived in Tallahassee, but I taught in Thomasville, Georgia.

[00:10:21] Tracy Hayes: How far of a commute was that?

[00:10:23] Gail Long: It was about 30 minutes.

I think I’ve driven 30 minutes my whole life.

[00:10:28] Tracy Hayes: Well, in Jacksonville, everything’s 30 minutes.

[00:10:30] Gail Long: Exactly.

[00:10:31] Tracy Hayes: Everything’s 30 minutes in Jacksonville.

But you have to put it in the GPS to make sure, because sometimes it could be 45 minutes or an hour, depending on the direction and time of day.

[00:10:40] Gail Long: Yes, yes, absolutely.

[00:10:42] Tracy Hayes: So, you experienced the market as a true seller—with that house sitting on the market for almost nine months.

[00:10:48] Gail Long: Yes, I did.

[00:10:49] Tracy Hayes: And you understand the personal stress and drain that comes with that.

So, you come to Jacksonville, and you don’t go back into teaching.

[00:10:56] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:10:57] Tracy Hayes: What happens then?

Is this when you start getting a feel for real estate?

[00:11:00] Gail Long: No, no, no.

I think I’m a good entrepreneur now, but I did not have that spirit back then.

Nobody in my family was an entrepreneur.

So I looked for a job.

And I actually found one that I really liked.

I worked at Nemours in their community outreach program called BrightStart.

And it was good for me because their focus was on helping preschool teachers and parents of children—birth through five—provide activities to prepare their kids to learn to read.

[00:11:30] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:11:31] Gail Long: We weren’t trying to teach three-year-olds how to read.

We were just giving them language experiences and activities so that, when they got to school, they’d be ready to read.

Because research showed that a child’s third-grade reading level is one of the best predictors of adult health status.

Since Nemours is a healthcare system, they thought, How can we help keep children healthy throughout their lives and into adulthood?

So they started BrightStart.

[00:11:55] Tracy Hayes: Interesting.

[00:11:56] Gail Long: And because I had a background in education and experience teaching young children—

[00:12:00] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:12:01] Gail Long: —I got a position where I was out in the community teaching preschool teachers and parents through workshops.

And I really liked it.

[00:12:10] Tracy Hayes: So, was it focused on reading skills?

[00:12:12] Gail Long: Correct.

For example, nursery rhymes—and when you read a book to a child, even though they can’t read yet, you track your finger left to right—

[00:12:18] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:12:18] Gail Long: You know, you talk about the pictures and just doing those types of things.

So it was great. I wasn’t unhappy.

And then budget cuts came, and they got rid of our program.

And then I didn’t know what to do.

[00:12:33] Tracy Hayes: Where are we at now? Because you got here in 2011—

[00:12:35] Gail Long: 2011. So this was 2014.

[00:12:37] Tracy Hayes: Okay.

[00:12:37] Gail Long: And one of the ladies in our program who was also downsized—

[00:12:40] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:12:41] Gail Long: —she became a realtor right away.

So I just kind of watched her.

I continued to look for a job but was also interested in what she was doing.

I couldn’t really find a job that I wanted to take, because when I think back to what appealed to me about being a teacher—having summers and afternoons with my kids—

Well, when I worked at Nemours, that wasn’t the case. That was a full-time, year-round job.

[00:13:06] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:13:07] Gail Long: And I thought, Well, I don’t want to go back to the classroom.

If I’m going to give up that time with my kids, I also want to like the job.

And I just couldn’t find anything.

So, about five months into it, I said, I think I’m going to get my real estate license.

[00:13:20] Tracy Hayes: Because you had been watching her?

[00:13:22] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:13:23] Tracy Hayes: Okay, so there was someone you knew—

[00:13:25] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:13:26] Tracy Hayes: —and you were watching their business and how they were doing it?

[00:13:27] Gail Long: Yes.

Well, just that she was doing it.

I didn’t know how she was running her business—she didn’t necessarily post that—but just the fact that this was what she did.

And it seemed like, Okay, I can do that.

[00:13:45] Tracy Hayes: You saw that she had the ability to break away, go get her kids, whatever she needed to do.

[00:13:48] Gail Long: Mm-hmm. Yes.

[00:13:52] Gail Long: And I had a friend who lived here.

Her sister is a big broker in Atlanta, and she was visiting one time.

She had been in the business a long time, and she gave me some advice.

She said, You're not getting a job—you’re starting a business.

You're not going to have an income at the beginning.

Your first year is your learning year, not your earning year.

So, learn. Sign up for classes. Do whatever you can to build that base, because you're not going to be making money that year anyway.

[00:14:26] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:14:27] Gail Long: So don’t waste that time—set yourself up, and then move into the earnings.

And I think maybe that’s why, when Wendy came and said, I have this class, I was like, Okay, I’ll sign up.

That was really helpful advice, especially for someone like me, who wasn’t an entrepreneur and was used to having a paycheck.

[00:14:40] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:14:41] Gail Long: That mindset shift was instrumental because I knew not to worry.

And I was also very fortunate that I did have a good first year—I hit the ground running.

But it wasn’t stressful.

[00:15:01] Tracy Hayes: Well, would you say—or could say—that because of the mindset you adopted—

[00:15:06] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:15:07] Tracy Hayes: —the people you listened to, the fact that Wendy got you into Buffini fairly early—

[00:15:13] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:15:13] Tracy Hayes: —that this mindset you created about being an entrepreneur and this is my business—

[00:15:18] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:15:19] Tracy Hayes: —was probably the reason why you had success in that first year?

[00:15:22] Gail Long: Absolutely, I think so.

I know that who you surround yourself with is important.

And the people I surrounded myself with were top-producing agents, full-time agents.

You know, Wendy would say, You can’t have a Plan B, because your mind will shift toward that.

And, you know, I was all-in on real estate.

I made the decision—this was going to be what I did.

So it was very much about setting up systems, putting things in place so I could run a business.

[00:15:52] Tracy Hayes: Alright, this is really great stuff.

I believe—and I’ve stated numerous times on this show—that so many agents fall out of real estate.

Some were successful, but a lot of them never even get out of the nest.

We know that 80%—a good portion—never make it to their first renewal.

[00:16:06] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:07] Tracy Hayes: Two years in—24 months—and they’re already out.

And I think a good percentage of them have already checked out within two months.

[00:16:21] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:22] Tracy Hayes: Because they didn’t have someone like Wendy inviting them, saying, Hey, you need to come to this training.

Or they didn’t have guidance steering them toward the right resources.

[00:16:30] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:31] Tracy Hayes: And, you know, whatever guided you there obviously made a huge difference in your life.

That was the road less traveled.

I love that—your son going to the Naval Academy, and The Road Less Traveled—

[00:16:41] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:16:42] Tracy Hayes: You know, and it’s made all the difference.

[00:16:45] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:45] Tracy Hayes: And that’s what you did—you grasped onto something.

So, let’s talk as if you and I are having a conversation in front of a group of people who haven’t even gotten into the business yet.

[00:16:55] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:56] Tracy Hayes: Or maybe they’re just taking their 60-hour course.

[00:16:58] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:59] Tracy Hayes: They haven’t gotten licensed, definitely haven’t chosen a brokerage yet.

Because I believe that choice of brokerage plays a huge role in whether someone is successful or not.

Not for everyone—because some people can succeed anywhere—but for a lot of agents, it’s critical.

And in your case, your choice led you to Wendy.

[00:17:22] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:23] Tracy Hayes: So, looking back—now that you know more about the business and have seen people come and go—

How important do you think that initial brokerage choice is?

[00:17:33] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:34] Tracy Hayes: How should people research it?

[00:17:35] Gail Long: It’s very important.

And I didn’t know what to look for.

I liked that my first brokerage advertised having a marketing department.

I’m not good at graphic design—I didn’t want to be the one designing my flyers.

So I thought, Oh, they have a marketing department? Perfect.

They offered photography and other things, so that’s what led me to my first brokerage.

However, knowing now how important a brokerage is, I would suggest that new agents—

Yes, meet with the broker.

Yes, meet with the sales manager.

But also, maybe ask to talk to other agents in that office.

Because that’s what really makes up the office culture—and you want to be part of a good culture.

I think it’s important to be around people who have a giving spirit.

When you walk into the office, you want people who say, Hey, how’s it going? How can I help you? What do you need?

[00:18:16] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:18:17] Gail Long: That’s what you want to surround yourself with.

If you go to a brokerage where there’s a competitive feeling, or people don’t really come into the office—

[00:18:24] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:18:25] Gail Long: —you’re going to feel like you’re on an island.

And that’s not going to help you through those hard times.

[00:18:33] Tracy Hayes: No, I think the island analogy is perfect.

Because I do believe a lot of agents, especially young and new ones—

[00:18:40] Tracy Hayes: —and again, I don’t speak for all, because some people have gotten into this business and have just—

[00:18:41] Tracy Hayes: Some people have done it themselves—

[00:18:44] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:18:45] Tracy Hayes: —whether they have great observation skills or follow systems like Buffini, Tom Ferry, or others.

I want to say, with companies like eXp, LPT, and Real, their functionality is without an office.

[00:18:56] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:18:57] Tracy Hayes: But I notice that Real, which I think is really hot right now—

[00:19:00] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:19:01] Tracy Hayes: —their group here in town likes to do a lot of activities together.

Whether it’s going to trainings or creating their own and renting a space so they can meet and build that culture.

But if you’re not going into the office, you are losing that interaction.

That collaboration—that’s the term a lot of top agents use.

[00:19:27] Gail Long: 100%.

I’m not someone who goes to the office every day, but I do try to attend meetings and trainings.

The Buffini group in our area has a monthly meeting, so even if you aren’t part of our brokerage, if you’re part of the Buffini system, you at least get one lunch a month to meet with other agents.

I also do a book club that I joined at the very beginning—10 years now—where we meet once a month.

It’s a business-based realtor book club.

So even if it’s not at an office, there are still opportunities to engage.

If someone’s new and looking at brokerages, I’ve learned that culture is so important.

[00:20:16] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:20:17] Gail Long: That feeling of camaraderie—of How can I help you? and I’ll learn from you, you’ll learn from me—that has been crucial.

[00:20:25] Tracy Hayes: Because one of the things you mentioned—when you come into the office, there are people saying, Hey, what do you need? How can I help you?

[00:20:27] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:28] Tracy Hayes: But many new agents don’t know what they need.

[00:20:30] Gail Long: Correct.

[00:20:31] Tracy Hayes: They don’t know where they need help.

[00:20:33] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:34] Tracy Hayes: And by regularly coming in and having conversations with people who are doing it—

[00:20:37] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:38] Tracy Hayes: —that day's topic might be, Hey, you should check out this Buffini group.

Another day, it might be, How are you handling your marketing?

I’m sure you’ve reached a point in your business—this is a common topic on the show—

Because I think nine out of ten agents eventually reach a ceiling of how much they can do alone.

[00:20:53] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:54] Tracy Hayes: And then they ask, How do I go to the next level?

Well, there are 16 different ways to do that.

[00:21:05] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:21:06] Tracy Hayes: And you don’t learn those 16 ways unless you have conversations with people who have gone beyond that ceiling.

[00:21:11] Gail Long: Absolutely.

That’s why I surrounded myself with top-producing, full-time agents from the beginning.

But I keep learning.

Some of my closest friends are realtors because I want to hear what they’re doing, learn from them, and be inspired by them.

[00:21:31] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

You said something earlier that made me think of this, and I think this is a great question for you.

Because I believe you went through a period of having to learn something about yourself.

You had to transition from a teacher’s mindset to an entrepreneur’s mindset.

And your mentor told you, You’re starting a business, you’re not just getting a job.

[00:21:50] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:21:51] Tracy Hayes: Now, you have to be responsible.

What did you learn about yourself in that first year, realizing This is my own business?

[00:21:59] Gail Long: I think that’s exactly what I learned—this is mine.

Whether it sinks or soars, it’s on me.

That’s one of the biggest things.

I don’t know if you’ve ever met a runner who doesn’t tell you they’re a runner.

[00:22:11] Tracy Hayes: (Laughs)

[00:22:12] Gail Long: I was a runner for years—a long-distance runner.

I wasn’t a runner as a kid—that was punishment in practice.

[00:22:18] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:22:19] Gail Long: But after my second son was born, I got into long-distance running.

Started with a 10K, then moved into half-marathons and marathons.

I even did a half Ironman.

And you get a training plan, and if you don’t follow it, on race day, you’re going to be hurting.

And the idea of running 26.2 miles can be overwhelming.

But you don’t think about that—you focus on what you have to do this week.

[00:22:40] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:22:41] Gail Long: It’s the same with business.

If you’re not doing the training, you can’t get anywhere good.

[00:22:56] Tracy Hayes: You have to do the basics—

[00:22:58] Gail Long: Exactly.

[00:22:59] Tracy Hayes: —like stretching, eating properly—

[00:23:01] Gail Long: And just doing the run.

You can’t not run and then show up expecting to do 13 or 26 miles.

[00:23:08] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:23:09] Gail Long: I mean, I watch some people try, but—

[00:23:09] Gail Long: Some people try to do it online and that type of thing.

But I got to every starting line of every race I ran—

[00:23:15] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:23:16] Gail Long: —knowing I was prepared.

And I think some of that—well, I was a runner when my second son was born, so before I became a realtor—

But I just knew that, right? Like, I knew to just follow the plan.

In this case, the Buffini plan.

You can’t skip it and expect to have a successful business.

For me, that was what it was.

But for someone else, it could be Tom Ferry or another system—

You just have to do it, or it won’t get you where you want to go.

[00:23:40] Tracy Hayes: There’s a book I want to get, and I might get the name wrong, but I think it’s called Couch to Runner or something like that.

[00:23:46] Gail Long: Couch to 5K.

[00:23:47] Tracy Hayes: Couch to 5K—that’s what it is.

I imagine it’s similar because I’ve talked to people—

I had a coworker years ago, in his late 40s, who now runs marathons.

But he said he couldn’t run even half a mile when he started.

[00:24:04] Gail Long: Oh yeah.

[00:24:05] Tracy Hayes: But this is basically what you’re talking about—it’s the same mentality.

And then, consistency comes in behind it.

[00:24:10] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:24:11] Tracy Hayes: If you follow the plan consistently, you’re going to go an extra hundred yards, then a quarter mile, then half a mile.

[00:24:17] Gail Long: Correct.

That consistency—and understanding that the day you plant the seeds is not the day you get the harvest.

[00:24:26] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:24:27] Gail Long: Learning that as a business owner is crucial.

Sometimes, it feels like nothing’s working.

Like you said, what if you gave up?

What if I got tired and said, I’m not paying for the Buffini marketing anymore?

What if I stopped mailing?

You might not feel the effects right away, but eventually, you will.

You have to stay consistent—even when it doesn’t feel like it’s working, it is working.

[00:24:49] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, yeah.

That is a great story.

Anyone listening, I think you need to call Gail—or Wendy—and check out this Buffini group.

I know Exit One Stop here in town is big on Buffini.

There’s also Ninja Selling—that system is very similar, isn’t it?

[00:25:10] Gail Long: It is, yeah.

I’ve done that as well.

We read Ninja Selling in our book club, and at my Better Homes and Gardens brokerage, we did it as a training.

It focuses a bit more on the psychology of selling.

Sometimes, they bring in experts through the podcast or events to talk about that aspect.

But Ninja Selling isn’t necessarily a step-by-step system.

It’s a little more conceptual, but yes, it’s very similar—it’s relationship-based.

[00:25:39] Tracy Hayes: Right, right.

So, your first year—you felt it was a success?

[00:25:45] Gail Long: Yes.

Again, I’m goal-oriented.

At my first brokerage, you started with their generic branding.

You had to close five deals before you could get your own branding.

I guess I could have gone out and done my own, but since they had a marketing department, I thought, Alright, first goal: five deals.

I hit that.

Then, they really pushed relocation services—

Their company did a lot of relocation.

To get on the relocation team, you had to close ten deals.

So, okay, new goal—ten deals.

Having those goalposts helped me stay motivated.

And I think in every office, there’s always a realtor saying, Who wants to hold an open house for me?

[00:26:22] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:23] Gail Long: And I said, I’ll do it.

It was a slower market, and the house I picked was overpriced.

So I sat in that same house every Saturday and Sunday for the first four months.

I used that time to learn how to talk to people about the house, the age of the roof, what schools it was zoned for.

It was in Jacksonville, so it wasn’t in my initial knowledge bubble.

I had to learn the city.

Finally, I met someone on a Sunday who came through the open house.

I left them a voicemail on Monday, and they actually called me back.

That gave me my momentum.

When that house finally sold, I just moved on to another open house.

I did open houses for a long time to meet people.

[00:27:10] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:27:11] Gail Long: And we haven’t touched on this yet—

But there was an agent at my first brokerage who had a big book of property management business.

She was getting out of it, and the property manager was breaking up the book.

I said, I’ll take some!

So she gave me ten properties.

Most of them were already rented, but when a rental became available, I’d get calls about it.

I would say, I can show it to you, even though it was just a rental.

I figured, Why not?

Most of the time, they didn’t rent that property, but since I didn’t have much going on, I’d show them other rentals.

Now, I don’t love showing rentals, but back then, I was happy to do it.

And I put those renters on my Buffini mailing list.

Over time—sometimes two years later—several of them came back to me when they were ready to buy.

One example: I placed a renter in a home, and two houses down, a homeowner wanted to move but rent out their house.

So she called me and said, Hey, do you want to manage this rental, too?

[00:28:01] Gail Long: And I was like, Yes, I do!

So she connected me with her, and it just builds from there.

[00:28:18] Tracy Hayes: Well, just for the agents listening right now—

Let’s think about what you did.

You took one of those renters, or maybe you started with ten properties, ten families, whatever—

And you put them on your Buffini mailing list.

[00:28:33] Gail Long: Well, they were ten properties.

[00:28:34] Tracy Hayes: Okay, ten properties—

[00:28:35] Gail Long: But as I rented them, I added those tenants to my list.

[00:28:37] Tracy Hayes: Right.

So, you’re sending them handwritten notes, birthday cards, all the things Buffini teaches.

What was your cost per person over two years?

If you’re doing all the Buffini marketing, the handwritten cards, the postage—

Did you even spend a hundred dollars per person?

[00:28:53] Gail Long: Probably not.

[00:28:54] Tracy Hayes: Exactly!

If you break it down—between your time, the cost of the cards, postage—maybe you spent fifty dollars total over two years on that one individual.

And then, two years later, they buy a house from you, and you’re making a commission.

Do the math!

[00:29:20] Gail Long: Oh, for sure.

[00:29:21] Tracy Hayes: If you haven’t read Ryan Serhant’s first book, he talks about this exact strategy.

He kept mailing postcards to a client he had shown a unit to—someone who didn’t buy at the time.

But he kept sending those postcards.

And years later, that guy ended up buying a $17 million flat in New York City.

Ryan calculated that his commission from that deal averaged out to over $200 a day from the first postcard to the closing day.

[00:29:48] Gail Long: Wow.

[00:29:49] Tracy Hayes: And that took years.

It’s like you said—you followed a system.

Buffini’s not doing anything revolutionary—

[00:29:57] Gail Long: Correct.

[00:29:58] Tracy Hayes: But what he does do is provide structure.

I went to military school, your son’s at the Naval Academy—structure is key.

Buffini gives agents a plug-and-play structure to follow.

[00:30:10] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:30:11] Tracy Hayes: And a lot of agents step into real estate, get their license, and go, Okay, now what?

Because it’s not like joining a corporation where you have structured training and onboarding.

You don’t have that in real estate.

[00:30:25] Gail Long: Right.

The advice I got from my office manager was, Okay, you have your business cards—now go hand them out to people at the grocery store.

[00:30:31] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:30:32] Gail Long: But that wasn’t me.

Even before I knew about Buffini and relationship-based marketing, I knew that if someone handed me a business card while I was checking out, I’d just say, Thanks and probably lose it in the washing machine.

[00:30:47] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:30:48] Gail Long: So, I knew that wasn’t my style.

But then you’re left thinking, Okay, what do I do?

How do I meet people in a way that makes sense for me?

That’s why it’s important to find a system that resonates with you and just follow it.

Because you’re right—it’s not complicated.

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

[00:31:32] Gail Long: But that doesn’t mean it’s not effective.

[00:31:34] Tracy Hayes: Right.

I’m sure you get tons of training offers all the time.

There’s so much real estate education out there.

But it goes back to what your mentor told you early on—

Your first year should be focused on learning as much as possible about real estate.

And in your case, you plugged into a gold mine of education that completely changed everything for you.

[00:32:04] Gail Long: Yes.

I don’t think I would have been successful without Buffini.

Yes, I’m goal-oriented, and yes, I wanted those five transactions to get my own branding.

I wanted to get on the relocation team—though I later realized I didn’t want to be on that team!

But without a system, I probably would have tried a little of this, a little of that, and never built momentum.

[00:32:36] Tracy Hayes: Right.

Everyone’s trying to find the right path—

[00:32:40] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:32:41] Tracy Hayes: Like, Oh, just do this one thing, and it’ll work!

A lot of brokerages try to create that structure, but I think what has made Better Homes and Gardens successful—

[00:32:50] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:32:51] Tracy Hayes: —is that Wendy built a strong Buffini culture within the brokerage.

And because she’s a certified instructor, she’s actively moving the needle for agents there.

[00:33:04] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:33:05] Tracy Hayes: If a broker is listening right now, this might be something worth implementing.

And for agents looking for a brokerage, maybe this is what you should be looking for—

A brokerage that’s really bought in to training and mentorship.

Because I imagine there were times when you asked yourself, Is this really working?

[00:33:20] Gail Long: Right.

[00:33:21] Tracy Hayes: You have those moments of doubt—

Would my business still work if I stopped doing part of the Buffini system?

But when you go to that monthly meeting…

[00:33:47] Tracy Hayes: You pick up the phone, and someone says, Oh yeah, I just got two clients from handwritten cards in the last six months.

[00:33:52] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:33:53] Tracy Hayes: Okay. That tells you—I need to keep handwriting the cards.

It helps you keep the momentum going.

[00:33:58] Gail Long: Correct.

Yeah, absolutely.

One of the things I did—I signed up for that first Peak Producers class.

It was 12 weeks long.

You pay for the system—not Wendy or my brokerage—but you buy it from Buffini.

Well, Wendy says, Every time I hold this class, you're welcome to come back.

So I did.

I didn’t have to pay any more money—just had to give my time.

And it kept me engaged and reminded me, Oh yeah, I need to do this.

Buffini said, Hold a business mixer.

I was two and a half months into real estate at the time, and I thought, Okay, I’ll find people and hold a business mixer.

I had six people show up—a lawn guy, a plumber—

And I referred the heck out of them because they had shown me a little bit of friendship and faith.

[00:34:40] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

[00:34:41] Gail Long: And so I just followed the system.

It would have been easy at the end of the 12 weeks to think, Okay, I know this.

But I kept coming back.

I don’t pay for extra Buffini coaching because I have this here.

[00:34:50] Tracy Hayes: Well, sometimes you have to fill in the gaps.

You go to all these classes, take tons of notes, but how much are you actually implementing?

There’s so much information, and it’s easy to forget things.

So being able to go back and refresh—

And then, from a sales standpoint, Wendy knows the system works.

She’s bought into it, she’s an instructor, and the more people that keep coming back and seeing success—

Well, that feeds new agents into the system.

That’s marketing!

[00:35:26] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:35:27] Tracy Hayes: A walking billboard is someone referring people and saying, Hey, you need to take that class.

[00:35:31] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:35:32] Tracy Hayes: If you're struggling in real estate, you need to go take that class.

And hopefully, people listening right now—if they don’t know Buffini, they’re looking it up.

And I imagine Wendy holds these courses regularly here in town?

[00:35:46] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:35:47] Tracy Hayes: Now, I know Buffini does a lot of online training because that’s the only way he can serve people nationwide.

[00:35:54] Gail Long: Right.

[00:35:55] Tracy Hayes: But would you say showing up in person, in a group with Wendy, is more beneficial?

[00:35:58] Gail Long: 100%.

And I have two examples where it didn’t work quite as well.

A guy I went to high school with—he lives in St. Pete.

He watched me grow in real estate, kind of like how I had watched that first colleague of mine.

He’s a firefighter in St. Pete, but he reached out and said, I think I’m considering real estate. What should I do?

Of course, I said, Buffini.

But he wasn’t in a brokerage that offered it, so he did it online.

It didn’t have the same impact.

So yes, you’re getting the information, but you’re missing that inspiration—that motivation from being surrounded by a community.

[00:36:47] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:36:48] Gail Long: I also met an agent through a Women in Real Estate Facebook group.

She was in Canada, and she reached out to ask what I was doing.

I told her about Buffini, and she did the online version.

Buffini actually has a huge presence in Canada, but since she didn’t have a local group, it didn’t have the same impact.

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

[00:37:01] Gail Long: So, it’s just different.

[00:37:02] Tracy Hayes: I also think part of it is—

For some people, online learning works.

For you, the light bulb went off, and you thought, I can plug into this system, set my daily schedule, and run the play.

[00:37:08] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:37:09] Tracy Hayes: And you ran the play, and you got results.

Because you set realistic expectations for your first-year production.

[00:37:17] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:37:18] Tracy Hayes: You plugged in, saw results, and then, being in a classroom setting, you saw other people getting results, too.

That kind of energy builds momentum.

[00:37:28] Gail Long: 100%.

I’d have to look back at my first-year numbers, but I know the volume.

I got my license in April, and my first closing was in October.

So really, those first couple of months were just building up.

[00:37:57] Tracy Hayes: And I don’t want to drill down too much on the first year, but this is really important for new agents.

[00:38:00] Tracy Hayes: So, once a month, you guys get together, or maybe just chit-chat about your sphere of influence.

By the time you got into real estate, you had been in Jacksonville for about four years, right?

[00:38:10] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:38:11] Tracy Hayes: Your husband had been working locally for four or five years—

What does Buffini recommend for reaching out to your friends and family?

I imagine he has a kickoff plan for that.

[00:38:22] Gail Long: Correct.

The training system calls it the mayor campaign.

It’s essentially reaching out and saying, Hey, if you happen to know anyone looking to buy or sell, let me know.

I actually knew a lot of people through my kids’ sports teams—other sports parents.

I knew people from my past job.

But I wasn’t very social.

[00:38:40] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:38:41] Gail Long: I had a good amount of people on social media, but I didn’t have their phone numbers or addresses.

So, I sent them Facebook messages with a little note—

I was also trying to build my database for my monthly mailing.

So I’d say, Hey, I’ve started this new training system. Would you mind if I sent you an item of value every once in a while?

Some didn’t reply.

Some said no—and that was tough.

[00:39:00] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:39:01] Gail Long: But I’ve learned to respect a no more than no reply.

Because at least if they say no, they responded.

[00:39:06] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:39:07] Gail Long: And a few said sure!

That’s how I started building my database—

Adding property management contacts, adding people who said yes.

At first, my database was small, but it was enough to start putting the system in place.

[00:39:33] Tracy Hayes: I forget the exact statistic, but there’s research on how many people know someone who is buying or selling a home in a given year.

[00:39:41] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:39:42] Tracy Hayes: If you know 100 people, statistically, they know a certain number of people who will buy or sell.

[00:39:50] Gail Long: Correct.

One of my biggest supporters at the beginning lived two houses down.

Her son was best friends with my boys.

She said, Gail, I’m not moving!

And I said, You don’t have to move. You can stay in this house for 30 years!

But I told her, If you think of someone who needs a realtor, that’s all I’m asking.

I wasn’t trying to get her to move—I just wanted her to refer me.

[00:40:16] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:40:17] Gail Long: And again, what resonates with me is relationships.

I wasn’t just saying, Who do you know right now?

I wanted to develop genuine relationships over time.

That way, when real estate came up, people would naturally think, Oh yeah, I know Gail.

[00:40:31] Tracy Hayes: Right.

Now, slight change of pace—

This is a topic I’ve been bringing up because I mentioned Grit by Angela Duckworth before the show.

I read her book, and after all the transcripts and stories I’ve heard—

I truly believe real estate agents are a huge part of our economy.

Because housing is such a massive part of the economy—

[00:40:46] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:40:46] Tracy Hayes: Real estate agents are the conduit to make transactions happen at a much more rapid pace.

[00:40:51] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:40:52] Tracy Hayes: Sure, anyone could sell their home themselves, but it wouldn’t happen as fast, and it wouldn’t be as smooth.

Without agents, things would slow down—and that would affect the economy.

Agents bring expertise and efficiency to the process.

And like you said earlier, you referred a bunch of business to those vendors who came to your business mixer.

Real estate agents are like concierges—especially for someone moving in from out of town who doesn’t know anyone.

[00:41:20] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:41:21] Tracy Hayes: They ask, Who do you recommend for a dentist?

Or, Who should I use for landscaping?

The real estate agent plays a huge role in that.

But let’s be honest—it’s not an easy business.

[00:41:35] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:41:36] Tracy Hayes: You’re self-employed.

[00:41:37] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:41:38] Tracy Hayes: You’re a one-woman show.

There have probably been times when you got too many nos in a row, and it dragged you down.

[00:41:46] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:41:47] Tracy Hayes: Or a deal went sideways, and you thought, Oh my God, what now?

Or maybe you had a difficult, even hostile client that nearly kicked you to the curb.

[00:41:57] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:41:58] Tracy Hayes: From a grit standpoint, I believe agents need what I call an LLC—Love, Laughter, and Consistency.

You have to love what you do.

[00:42:13] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:42:14] Tracy Hayes: That’s the only way you push through the tough times.

If you don’t love it, and you get hit with a curveball, you might say, You know what? I don’t even like this job anyway, and quit.

Then there’s laughter—because after you’ve been in the business long enough and faced enough curveballs, you learn to roll with them.

When a new challenge comes your way, you think, I got this.

[00:42:40] Gail Long: Right.

[00:42:41] Tracy Hayes: So, think back to something that at the time maybe brought you to tears.

But now, you laugh about it.

And of course, we’ve talked about consistency a lot today.

So, tell us—why do you love real estate?

[00:42:53] Gail Long: It’s the opportunity to add value to people during a really important time in their life.

People think about the happy side of real estate—first-time homebuyers, exciting milestones.

And yes, you get to be a part of those moments.

But a lot of real estate involves tough situations.

People are going through divorces, job losses, or unexpected life changes.

Being able to support them through that—it makes me feel like what I do matters.

[00:43:40] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

And when you get that great review at the end—

Sometimes, you don’t even realize how much of an impact you made until a client tells you.

[00:43:49] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:43:50] Tracy Hayes: Some people don’t express it during the transaction, but later they might say, Oh, when this is all over, I have to take you out to dinner—you’ve been awesome!

[00:44:00] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:44:01] Tracy Hayes: And that just reinforces that what you’re doing is making an impact.

[00:44:06] Gail Long: Absolutely.

Not every client becomes a lifelong friend, but some do.

I’ve made so many true friendships over the last 10 years.

I’ve even vacationed with people I originally met through real estate!

[00:44:22] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

Alright, so tell us a story—

A time when you were really down, maybe even thought about quitting real estate.

But now, when you look back, you just laugh about it.

[00:44:38] Gail Long: I think it was when I first became a realtor.

I still care very much, but back then, I took everything on.

Every little thing felt huge.

It made it hard to have tough conversations with clients when something went wrong.

I’d lie awake at 2 AM, worrying about it.

[00:44:57] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:44:58] Gail Long: I had one client—

She was moving from New York after a divorce.

I think she was running away, trying to start fresh.

She bought a new construction home, so the process took a while.

During that time, she had a lot of time to think.

By the time the home was ready and she moved down, I don’t think it was what she envisioned.

She called me afte [00:45:20] Gail Long: We went under contract, and the agent—

I know she didn’t want to make this phone call either—

She called me on the morning of Christmas Eve and said, They’re backing out.

And that was really hard.

It was Christmas Eve, and I didn’t want to sit on that information through Christmas Day.

But I also knew it was going to impact my client so much.

That was one of those moments where I thought, Why am I doing this?

It’s ruining my holiday. It’s ruining her holiday.

That was tough.

But at that point—this was about four years ago—I knew it wasn’t my fault.

We’d get through it.

I didn’t have to own all of it.

[00:46:20] Tracy Hayes: No, that’s a great story.

One of the best stories I’ve heard.

Because it’s exactly what I’m talking about when it comes to grit.

You came to the realization that this is not on you.

[00:46:32] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:46:33] Tracy Hayes: You did everything you could.

You provided the best service possible.

You didn’t get divorced.

You didn’t move from New York.

That was her decision.

Could you have led her to a different neighborhood? Maybe.

But in new construction, most agents will tell you—if you buy new, you better be prepared to stay for at least five years.

[00:46:56] Gail Long: Right.

[00:46:57] Tracy Hayes: Otherwise, you’ll lose money trying to sell.

We see it now—plenty of brand-new homes built just 18 months ago are sitting on the market because someone’s trying to sell too soon.

But the key takeaway—you didn’t create that situation.

[00:47:12] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:47:13] Tracy Hayes: You just provided the service she asked for—at the highest level.

And that was the realization you came to.

Of course, it’s not that you don’t still care.

But as an agent, you have to be able to separate yourself from the outcome.

So you can enjoy your Christmas, spend time with your family, and still wake up on the 26th ready to get back out there and do your job.

[00:47:53] Gail Long: Yes. Absolutely.

[00:47:54] Tracy Hayes: And if agents are struggling with tough conversations or difficult situations, they need to talk to other agents.

Share your stories.

Realize that everyone deals with this stuff.

[00:48:00] Gail Long: Yes, absolutely.

You’re not the only one having a deal fall apart.

You’re not the only one with a stressed-out seller.

You’re not the only one dealing with tough market conditions.

[00:48:08] Tracy Hayes: Mm-hmm.

[00:48:09] Gail Long: Hearing that from others—it helps.

[00:48:10] Tracy Hayes: Yeah, on a regular basis.

Alright, let’s talk consistency.

[00:48:13] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:48:14] Tracy Hayes: You’ve consistently followed the Buffini—what do you call it? The Buffini method? The Buffini system?

[00:48:19] Gail Long: The Buffini way, the Buffini system—it all works.

[00:48:21] Tracy Hayes: But what are you personally doing—on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis—that might be outside of Buffini but still plays a key role in your success?

Something that, if you stopped doing it, you’d see a negative effect?

[00:48:55] Gail Long: I still have that education-first mindset.

I listen to a lot of podcasts—both real estate and personal development.

I read personal development books.

I believe the more you work on yourself, the better you’ll be—not just as a business owner, but as a realtor who can help buyers and sellers manage their emotions.

So having that constant flow of personal development information is really important.

[00:49:23] Tracy Hayes: I agree.

I’ve read way more since school than I ever did in school.

In school, I could probably count on one hand the number of books I actually read.

[00:49:36] Gail Long: (Laughs)

[00:49:37] Tracy Hayes: But after school, I’ve gone through phases where I get on a kick and read a bunch of books at once.

For people who aren’t regularly reading, I think they sometimes misunderstand personal development.

[00:49:52] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:49:53] Tracy Hayes: They hear personal development and get defensive—like, Oh, you think I’m not smart enough? You think I’m not good enough?

But that’s not what personal development books are about.

[00:50:07] Gail Long: Correct.

[00:50:08] Tracy Hayes: People who read personal development books often get a high from them.

Because a lot of them are just packed with positive energy.

[00:50:13] Gail Long: Absolutely.

How to Win Friends and Influence People—great book for anybody to read.

Tony Robbins—his books are so motivating.

Because real estate is hard.

But life is hard.

And having positive energy poured into you makes a difference.

[00:50:32] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

Well, if we actually did everything people told us to do, we’d probably all be Elon Musk.

[00:50:40] Gail Long: (Laughs)

[00:50:41] Tracy Hayes: But not everyone follows the plan.

And that’s where Buffini comes in…

[00:51:00] Tracy Hayes: The people you mentioned who did Buffini online—

There are plenty of people who go through Buffini and drop out, just like they drop out of real estate.

[00:51:07] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:51:08] Tracy Hayes: The light bulb doesn’t go off for them.

They’re not consistent with it.

They didn’t stick with it long enough to see the results.

[00:51:14] Gail Long: Right.

[00:51:15] Tracy Hayes: And personal development is like an energy source that keeps you going.

You hear Tony Robbins, John Maxwell—

[00:51:22] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:51:23] Tracy Hayes: And sometimes, you have to hear the same advice a thousand times before you finally say, You know what? Maybe I should do that.

You hear it from author after author, podcast after podcast—

And eventually, you realize, I need to take action.

[00:51:33] Gail Long: Mm-hmm. Absolutely.

[00:51:34] Tracy Hayes: Affirmations, for example—some people do them, and they feel great about themselves.

And if it helps them get through the day and they see a return on investment from it—why not?

[00:51:41] Gail Long: Exactly.

And it’s just like marketing.

You don’t market to someone once and expect them to instantly remember you.

[00:51:48] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:51:49] Gail Long: You have to rinse and repeat.

And you do the same with personal development—

You rinse and repeat with educational classes, just like you do with your marketing.

[00:51:56] Tracy Hayes: Yep, exactly.

Because eventually, a light bulb will go off.

For you, Buffini clicked early.

But some people have debated Buffini for years.

[00:52:05] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:52:06] Tracy Hayes: And then, one day, they’ll hear this podcast and think, Gail’s doing Buffini—she’s the 20th person I’ve heard say this. Maybe I should do it.

[00:52:09] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:52:10] Tracy Hayes: That’s just how it works.

Alright, we’ve talked about the foundation of your business.

Let’s finish with—what are you doing today?

You’ve been in the business long enough to see real estate’s ups and downs.

[00:52:22] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:52:23] Tracy Hayes: Interest rates spiked in May of 2022—

That really changed the landscape.

People had to adjust from free money to real mortgage payments.

[00:52:33] Gail Long: Right.

[00:52:34] Tracy Hayes: Suddenly, a $3,000 mortgage payment was standard when buyers were used to $2,200 or $2,400.

[00:52:40] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:52:41] Tracy Hayes: That’s a huge difference.

People aren’t used to payments like that, and inflation has eaten away at disposable income.

We’ve seen major market shifts—

What challenges are you seeing right now, in early 2025, with buyers and sellers?

[00:53:41] Gail Long: Buyers’ and sellers’ expectations don’t always match the market.

[00:53:49] Tracy Hayes: They’re always lagging, right?

[00:53:50] Gail Long: Exactly.

For buyers, I get it—

If they’re maxing out their budget, they can’t afford to buy a fixer-upper.

They either need something move-in ready, or they expect everything to already be done.

So, I relay this to sellers—

If you know how to prepare your house for the market, you’ll attract buyers.

Because right now, most buyers don’t want a fixer-upper.

[00:54:24] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:54:25] Gail Long: But on the flip side, buyers also have to be realistic.

If their budget is tight and they need a lower monthly payment, they may have to look at homes that need some work.

So, it’s about having those conversations—what’s most important?

And with sellers, especially those who have lived in their homes for a long time—

They love their homes.

They don’t always see that updates are needed.

[00:54:40] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:54:41] Gail Long: And with more inventory on the market, homes have to stand out.

We have to position them well, stage them, and make them appealing to buyers.

[00:54:49] Tracy Hayes: That’s a great point.

So, when you go into a listing appointment, how do you approach that conversation?

Because I think this is what separates the top producers from everyone else.

If you’re in the top 500 agents in Jacksonville, you’re actively working, doing deals.

But if you’re ranked 1,000 or beyond, you’re not having as many listing appointments.

And the ability to have these tough conversations sets apart the top agents.

What’s your mindset when you walk into a listing appointment?

Can you share a story about how you approach that conversation as the expert?

[00:55:50] Gail Long: That’s actually been growth for me.

At first, I didn’t want to upset people.

I wanted them to like me.

But I had to learn—

They want my advice.

They might not like what I have to say, but that’s why they’re hiring me.

Otherwise, they’d be doing For Sale by Owner.

[00:56:00] Tracy Hayes: Exactly.

[00:56:01] Gail Long: So, I had to gain confidence in my expertise.

I tell sellers—

If I could get you a million dollars for this home we’re listing at $300,000, I would!

But I don’t set the market.

The market sets the market.

[00:56:00] Gail Long: One of the things I’ve had to grow in is understanding that sellers want to hear my advice.

They might not like it, but that’s why they’re hiring me instead of doing For Sale by Owner.

They need that guidance.

And I had to gain confidence in my expertise to be able to say, I know you don’t want to hear this, but…

There are nine other homes for sale in this neighborhood.

We have to stand out.

We can do that by price and by condition.

We can’t change the location.

[00:56:35] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[00:56:36] Gail Long: If you need to sell, we need to make changes.

Otherwise, you could be sitting on the market for 180 days.

So just growing my belief in my own expertise has been helpful.

[00:56:51] Tracy Hayes: Right.

Confidence is key.

For someone listening right now who isn’t confident yet, what’s something they can do to speed up that confidence-building process?

[00:57:08] Gail Long: If you’re newer, ask to shadow experienced agents.

I’ve never been on a team, but I’m not afraid to ask—

Can I go on a listing appointment with you?

Because I have done that.

I’ve listened to agents have tough conversations.

I’ve seen sellers react negatively but still end up taking the advice.

So, learning from others is huge.

And then, trial and error—sometimes it doesn’t go well, but that’s how you grow.

[00:57:37] Tracy Hayes: Right.

But to speed up that learning curve—if you’re a brand-new agent, just got your license—

You have to ask.

Some agents might say no, but plenty will say yes.

[00:57:52] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:57:53] Tracy Hayes: And honestly, a lot of agents like to show off what they do.

[00:58:00] Gail Long: (Laughs)

[00:58:01] Tracy Hayes: They want someone to see how great they are!

So if you see an agent posting on social media, Hey, I’m heading to a listing appointment—

Ask if you can tag along.

Offer to be their cameraman!

[00:58:16] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:58:17] Tracy Hayes: They’ll probably say yes!

Now, that doesn’t mean what they’re doing is right, but it gets you in the room.

You get to see real conversations, real seller reactions, and different strategies.

But most importantly—you have to ask.

[00:58:40] Gail Long: Yes.

[00:58:41] Tracy Hayes: If you’re a new agent, go on listing appointments with experienced agents.

Treat it like you’re handling the transaction.

Because everyone deals with imposter syndrome at first.

But once you’ve shadowed 20 appointments, you’ll have more experience than most agents who’ve been licensed for years.

[00:59:23] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[00:59:24] Tracy Hayes: Because let’s be real—

Plenty of agents did zero transactions last year.

So, ask, ask, ask!

Worst case, they say no.

But more agents will say yes.

[00:59:30] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[00:59:31] Tracy Hayes: All the top agents I’ve had on this podcast say the same thing—

Collaboration.

That’s what raises the quality of service agents deliver.

Not everyone is going to make it in this industry, but those who consistently collaborate will rise to the top.

[01:00:00] Tracy Hayes: Now, marketing—what are you doing?

I assume you have some kind of newsletter?

[01:00:02] Gail Long: No, I actually don’t do a newsletter.

[01:00:05] Tracy Hayes: Oh, interesting.

[01:00:06] Gail Long: I send the Buffini Item of Value each month.

[01:00:08] Tracy Hayes: What is that?

[01:00:09] Gail Long: It’s different each month—

Sometimes it’s about interest rates or housing trends.

Other times, it’s design trends for 2025—things like that.

Buffini has a system for layering competence and care.

[01:00:31] Tracy Hayes: That’s funny—you just mentioned competence and care, and I was just listening to Elon Musk talk about that concept the other day.

[01:00:36] Gail Long: (Laughs)

[01:00:37] Tracy Hayes: So, aside from Buffini mailers, what else are you doing?

[01:00:40] Gail Long: Handwritten notes.

Client parties—

I do a summer party and a pie party.

[01:00:48] Tracy Hayes: Let’s talk about that.

Because I’ve heard some agents have huge success with client appreciation events.

[01:00:58] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[01:00:59] Tracy Hayes: But when you first started, you didn’t have many clients, right?

[01:01:02] Gail Long: I did not!

My hairdresser came.

My neighbor—who told me I’m never moving—came.

My parents came.

[01:01:10] Tracy Hayes: (Laughs)

Did you hold it at your house?

[01:01:12] Gail Long: No, I had it at my office.

[01:01:14] Tracy Hayes: Okay.

[01:01:15] Gail Long: But over the years, I’ve learned—

Now, I do host them at my house.

Because I’ve found that people want to see where I live.

They know I know their house, so they’re curious!

[01:01:24] Tracy Hayes: That’s genius!

[01:01:25] Gail Long: So now, I host my client events at my home, and I always get great attendance.

At first, though, I held them at my office for two years before making the switch.

[01:01:40] Gail Long: For my summer party, I used to host it at the Freedom Boat Club.

[01:01:43] Tracy Hayes: Oh, we have to tag Freedom Boat Club because I’m a member too!

I talk about it all the time.

I invite people to events—

If you don’t know about Freedom Boat Club, you need to.

People move here for a lifestyle, and boating is part of that lifestyle.

Even if they’re not a boater today, maybe they dream about it—

But no one’s ever taught them how to be a boater.

Freedom Boat Club is perfect for that.

Plus, with so many neighborhoods not allowing boat parking, it’s a great option.

[01:02:13] Gail Long: We’ve been members for 11 years.

For years, I hosted my summer party at Julington Creek Marina.

We’d have a Freedom Boat Club captain drive a pontoon boat for guests, and my husband would take kids tubing.

I’d be on the dock with food, talking to people.

[01:02:31] Tracy Hayes: That’s awesome.

[01:02:32] Gail Long: But I stopped doing it in 2020.

And I didn’t go back to it because, while people loved it, it was always threatening to rain.

It never actually rained, but people would call me and say, It looks bad over here, should I still come?

And I’d have to convince them to come anyway.

So now, I switched to an ice cream party.

Still a summer event, just easier to plan.

[01:02:49] Tracy Hayes: I get it.

Afternoon storms in Florida—three or four o’clock, it looks bad, but then—

[01:02:54] Gail Long: Boom. Gone.

[01:02:55] Tracy Hayes: Exactly.

And the river messes with the weather—

It could be storming on the west side, but totally clear over here.

[01:03:08] Gail Long: Yes!

[01:03:09] Tracy Hayes: But hosting your events at home—

At first, you didn’t do that.

And I don’t think anyone should start there.

But once you’ve built a solid client base, having events at your house takes relationships to the next level.

Because now, you’re inviting them into your personal space.

Going out to dinner with someone is one thing—

But hosting them at your home? That’s a whole different level of trust and connection.

[01:03:30] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[01:03:31] Tracy Hayes: Alright—three things agents need to be doing right now, with the current market conditions.

This could be anything—buyer agreements, listing appointments—

What’s something you’re doing differently today compared to 18 months ago?

[01:04:00] Gail Long: I’ve always looked at the hot sheet and market trends—

But now, I dig deeper into things like days on market, price reductions, and how many homes are coming back on the market.

That knowledge helps me have better conversations with clients.

For buyers—if a home comes back on the market, their first thought is, Something must be wrong with it.

But in most cases, that’s not true.

A large percentage of Jacksonville contracts have been falling through lately.

So I tell buyers, Don’t panic—this happens all the time.

For sellers—it’s about setting realistic expectations.

[01:05:04] Tracy Hayes: Right.

[01:05:05] Gail Long: Homes aren’t flying off the market in one weekend anymore.

I have to tell sellers, If you don’t want your home sitting for months, what can we do to make it more attractive?

[01:05:20] Tracy Hayes: And checking the hot sheet daily gives you talking points throughout the day.

Because people always ask, How’s the market?

And now, instead of saying, Oh, it’s good, you can say, Actually, here’s what’s happening right now…

[01:05:34] Gail Long: Exactly.

[01:05:35] Tracy Hayes: That makes you sound knowledgeable and confident.

[01:05:44] Tracy Hayes: You mentioned how many homes have been falling out of contract—

As a lender, I see this a lot.

Of course, some deals fall apart due to repairs.

But that’s not the number one reason.

A lot of times, people get under contract on a house, and then—two weeks later—a home they really wanted hits the market.

So they back out of the first one.

[01:06:23] Gail Long: Yep.

[01:06:24] Tracy Hayes: That happened a lot when inventory was low—

People were just grabbing anything they could get.

Now, with more inventory, that’s happening less.

But are you seeing any lending challenges?

Or do you wish there was a product out there to bridge a gap for buyers?

[01:06:39] Gail Long: I don’t know if it’s about needing a new product—

I think it’s more about setting the right expectations with buyers and sellers.

[01:06:54] Gail Long: One of the things I tell buyers is—

It doesn’t matter what your purchase price is.

It matters what your monthly payment is.

That’s where you live every month.

That’s your pain point.

[01:06:57] Tracy Hayes: Right.

Unless you want to significantly change your purchase price—

That’s the only way to change the payment.

[01:07:00] Gail Long: A lot of buyers don’t really know what their budget means in terms of a monthly payment.

They go get a pre-approval from a lender, but sometimes they don’t actually ask what their max price translates to in real dollars each month.

Especially in certain neighborhoods—

If there are CDD fees, if it’s an older home with higher insurance costs—

That all impacts their payment.

I try to prepare buyers in our first meeting so they understand everything that goes into that final monthly cost.

When my husband and I bought our house, we told our lender, This is the monthly payment we want.

And she worked backward to give us a purchase price.

Because I would have gone to my max budget, but my husband didn’t want to.

We budgeted based on the payment, not just the max approval amount.

Of course, now that’s changed because insurance has gone up—

[01:07:58] Tracy Hayes: Oh, trust me—

[01:08:00] Gail Long: (Laughs)

[01:08:01] Tracy Hayes: We can approve people for way more than they actually want to spend.

[01:08:07] Gail Long: Right.

[01:08:08] Tracy Hayes: As long as their debt is reasonable, they’ll qualify for a very high payment.

But whether they should spend that much is a different story.

[01:08:17] Gail Long: Exactly.

[01:08:18] Tracy Hayes: And that’s a great conversation to have—

Because buyers need to consider more than just principal and interest.

New construction homes—totally up to current code—
Will have lower insurance costs.

An older home?

Insurance could be twice as much—especially if the roof is older.

[01:08:40] Gail Long: Exactly.

[01:08:41] Tracy Hayes: And location matters too.

Some neighborhoods have higher CDD or HOA fees.

So buyers really need to be comfortable with a range of possible payments—

Maybe a $200–$300 difference depending on where they end up.

[01:09:11] Gail Long: Yes.

[01:09:12] Tracy Hayes: And then there’s the buyers who want to use some random lender from California—

[01:09:17] Gail Long: (Laughs)

[01:09:18] Tracy Hayes: They found a low rate on bankrate.com—

But trust me—by closing day, they always end up paying the same.

[01:09:23] Gail Long: Yep.

[01:09:24] Tracy Hayes: I just had one where the buyer was promised no points for a fantastic interest rate.

I said, No way. That’s going to cost you at least a point.

They went with their online lender, and sure enough—

At closing, they paid a point.

But by then, it’s too late.

[01:09:54] Gail Long: Yeah.

[01:09:55] Tracy Hayes: And that’s why agents need to help buyers set realistic expectations.

Especially now, with higher interest rates.

[01:10:23] Gail Long: Yes.

Because sometimes, buyers go under contract, then the lender gives them their first full breakdown—

And suddenly, they realize—

Whoa. This is way more than I expected.

[01:10:40] Tracy Hayes: Do you try to prepare yourself in advance?

Like, do you look up neighborhood fees, taxes, estimated insurance?

Because I think agents could do more in that area.

[01:10:50] Gail Long: Absolutely.

I talk to insurance agents all the time—

They want our business.

They’re willing to do quick estimates to help our buyers.

Even if it’s just a ballpark number, it helps buyers prepare.

[01:11:34] Tracy Hayes: And property taxes—

If someone’s been in their house for years with homestead exemptions, the new buyer won’t get that same tax bill.

[01:11:46] Gail Long: Exactly.

Jacksonville is a huge military town, so we see a lot of homes with 100% tax exemptions.

A buyer sees super low taxes on the listing—

But next year?

Boom—taxes jump way up, and their payment spikes.

I always make sure buyers understand—

The tax bill you see now is NOT the tax bill you’ll be paying.

[01:12:54] Tracy Hayes: 100%.

And honestly, lenders don’t always estimate taxes correctly either.

So if you think you’re dealing with a home where taxes might drastically increase—

Call the county and ask for an estimate.

[01:13:10] Gail Long: That’s smart.

I had a situation early in my career with new construction—

The lender pre-qualified the buyer based on just the land value.

So their tax bill was super low at closing—

Then the next year?

Their payment skyrocketed.

[01:13:20] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

I worked for one of the largest builders in town, and we had a calculation for that.

But not every builder does.

Some will qualify buyers at artificially low tax rates just to get them in the home—

Then, a year later, taxes double and the buyer can’t afford the payment.

And that can turn into a legal nightmare.

[01:13:40] Gail Long: Yeah, I’ve definitely seen that happen.

[01:13:40] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[01:13:40] Tracy Hayes: Because they know it could come back on them.

[01:13:42] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[01:13:43] Tracy Hayes: Others, I imagine, are doing what you're saying—trimming the corners just enough to get that person approved and move that house at that moment in time.

[01:13:51] Gail Long: Right.

[01:13:51] Tracy Hayes: DeSantis actually said something the other day—probably yesterday—about property taxes in Florida.

I think the headline was clickbait, saying something about getting rid of property taxes—

But realistically, you can’t get rid of property taxes.

I do think, though, that the shock of people buying a home and suddenly seeing their taxes skyrocket after reassessment—that’s something they need to get under control.

It’s just not good for affordability.

[01:14:32] Gail Long: Yeah.

Because when the tax bill gets readjusted after a sale—

And then you add in high insurance costs—

It makes homeownership really tough for people.

[01:14:40] Tracy Hayes: Yeah.

Florida is becoming unaffordable in a lot of areas.

[01:14:42] Gail Long: Right.

[01:14:43] Tracy Hayes: That’s why calling for an insurance quote is one of the first things I do when setting up a loan.

I reach out immediately—

I need a quote.

[01:14:50] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[01:14:51] Tracy Hayes: Because then the insurance company also tells us how old the roof is.

We can get a wind mitigation report—

Try to get as many discounts as possible.

At least when I send documents to the client, I can prepare them—

"Hey, this is what your insurance might look like, but if we get some discounts, maybe we can bring it down to this range."

It’s all about setting expectations.

[01:15:06] Gail Long: Yes.

[01:15:06] Tracy Hayes: So, Gail—really appreciate you coming on today.

Anything you’d like to add?

[01:15:09] Gail Long: No—just grateful to be here.

[01:15:11] Tracy Hayes: It was a great conversation.

I really enjoyed it.

And Buffini—man, you just gave me a jolt this morning.

I talk to so many agents, and I know so many are struggling.

We saw that 71–74% of agents didn’t even do a transaction last year.

But this is an industry where—if you get in and plug in—

You can be successful.

And maybe for some of those struggling agents, they need to plug into a system like Buffini.

[01:15:36] Gail Long: Absolutely.

[01:15:37] Tracy Hayes: And follow it.

If this is really what you want to do.

[01:15:39] Gail Long: Mm-hmm.

[01:15:39] Tracy Hayes: Appreciate you coming on.

[01:15:40] Gail Long: Thank you.

[01:15:41] Tracy Hayes: Thank you.