Holly Reaves Griggs: What It Takes To Be A "Luxury" Real Estate Agent

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Tracy Hayes: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Real Estate Excellence podcast. Today's guest is a superstar with one of the most respected brokerages in Northeast Florida, Ingle and Volkers First Coast. She is exploded in March with five and a half million in sales, a volume with six transactions, a super month. She is recognized by the Jacks rules producers as one of the top agents in Jacksville.

Tracy Hayes: She has a decade of interior design experience. She's passionate about her clients. and real estate and gives the personal level of service. She's an expert in the greater Jacksonville market. Haven't been born and raised here in Northeast Florida. Let's welcome the second Ed White high school graduate this week.

Tracy Hayes: Holly Reeves Griggs to the show. Welcome. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Thank you. Yes. Did 

Tracy Hayes: you know Gigi, um, Urbanski? She's an Ed White graduate. Yes. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Been quite some time since I've graduated. I don't know that I've been in contact with a lot 

Tracy Hayes: I was just, I was just going through your, your LinkedIn and I'm like, Ed White again? So, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: it's a funny story, you know, I grew up in Jacksonville, but I grew up off Heckscher Drive.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So, back [00:01:00] then, they didn't even have Dames Point Bridge. So, really, the only school for me to go to, the best school at that time, was Ed White. But, uh, it was quite a haul every day. You know, but, uh, yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Wow, that is, uh, to go all the way around. What was 295 like at that time? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Not as current as it is today.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. But, yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Awesome, awesome. Well, I'm glad you, glad you come down. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Thank you. 

Tracy Hayes: Um, I mean, what a, what a march. And I know you consistently, and I know you looked up at the office, you know, I'm sure, uh, Not only at Engle and Volkers, but others are looking at what you're doing as going through your social media I mean, what a beautiful those beautiful townhouses though that was on the youtube video you're talking about and I see that I look like the Uh finished products, uh in some of your instagram photos from those 

Holly Reaves Griggs: so we're not quite done That's um one of my investors and he and I work together on other properties Um, i've kind of evolved where you know, I do buy I help buyers and sellers But I also work with some investors where we build spec houses And this [00:02:00] is one of them.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I found the lots for him. It were two lots a double lot And this was probably back in 2021. I told him he could do four townhomes there based on the size Connected him with an architect Colin Speltz, who is very well known and Came up with the townhome design and I rented out the properties for him while we did all that because you know It's about a six nine month process, right and I've been involved with the design ever since so picking out the interior finishes You Um, 

Tracy Hayes: Well, one of the things that brings up that's interesting and having talked to some, um, if you want to call them younger agent, you know, newer agents, um, uh, there in the field, you saw two lots and how difficult was it for you to go and find out the information for your investor and say, Hey, you can, you can do this.

Tracy Hayes: We can make these into one. We can make it into a townhome. Right. So I assume you're going to have some sort of, there's some sort of HOA there, um, with the four owners. There will be. Yeah. Um, how did you find [00:03:00] out that information? How difficult is that? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So really it's more about knowing the codes, the local codes, for the different beaches.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You know, Jacksonville Beach, Atlanta Beach, Neptune Beach, they're all a little bit different. You know, how much pervious, impervious calculation based on the square footage of the lot you can build, what the setbacks are, knowing that and knowing that it's zoned and multifamily, uh, told him what he could put on the lot.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And we were able to get, you know, four townhomes that are really good size. 

Tracy Hayes: Was that just, obviously this wasn't your first rodeo doing something like that. But the first one you did, who would someone go to to kind of get kind of that information that you're talking about to kind of be able to confidently say, Hey, yeah, we could put four townhomes in here and, you know, You know turn them 

Holly Reaves Griggs: really it's just calling the city, you know And then you start to learn about the officials and they learn, you know Who you are and when you call them you need, you know different codes They'll send you all the you know specifications that you can do on the different zoning lots 

Tracy Hayes: Is it is it a simple just going in there and saying hey, I saw these two lots Can we do this and [00:04:00] they take it from there?

Tracy Hayes: I mean, how how how much information are you? Giving them because i'm i'm thinking of that You know Someone who's never done it before right and being able to go what kind of questions what they ask 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So they won't take the information and run with it per se to say hey Can I do this right you have to be approved what you want to do, right?

Holly Reaves Griggs: And typically it has to be on a plan. So really you have to get Pretty far involved with it, but that's why you have a good inspection period if you're the buyer and you want to do You know a multifamily, you know project on a lot, but you know for me I know that the side setbacks are seven and a half feet, you know in Jackson Beach You've got a rear setback of you know, 30 feet.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You've got a front setback of 20 feet so basically knowing those setbacks and then you kind of fit the the structure of what you want to fit on the lot and you see, you know, is this going to be wide enough? Is it going to be something that someone can walk through and it's feels like it's a good layout.

Tracy Hayes: Cool. Yeah. Cool. Is that, I think, um, I mean, discovering these are little [00:05:00] treasures really, especially the multifamily. Right. I mean, as you know, if you could find a multifamily residence, a duplex or triplex, you know, anywhere that, you know, you, you want to get your hands on it. It's, it's hot. It's cold. Yeah.

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. I 

Holly Reaves Griggs: mean, those two lots, uh, together probably cost about a million and a half dollars and at the end result will be a nine million dollar townhome project. And I'll know every single last finish that's going into those because, you know, I'm involved with the design, which is a unique thing for me.

Tracy Hayes: Awesome. Yeah, I have 

Holly Reaves Griggs: a little niche going. It all started with my husband and I, we, um, I guess it was during COVID, you know, not really in the height of COVID because we were all busy, right? It's my best year yet. But just before COVID, when everything was kind of shut down and no one was really knowing what we were going to do, there was this little REO property and REO is a real estate on basically it's foreclosure.

Holly Reaves Griggs: It had 30 offers on it and we won that property and it needed a complete gut. So we got involved in that and I was, It's basically GC and, you know, handling everything, the subs and managing them and [00:06:00] did the finishes. The property ended up having multiple offers, but that kind of started me into the whole design and, um, how I do taking your past, haven't 

Tracy Hayes: done that before to take it to what you're doing in real estate and expanding your, really your, your client base or your customer base.

Tracy Hayes: So give us a, you said you had 30 other offers on this property. This is what I find interesting. What do you think? Why was it your offer? What was it that you came up with that stole this from the other 29? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, probably first and foremost, it's cash, you know, anytime you have a cash offer and it was, you know, 330, 000 was the sales price.

Holly Reaves Griggs: It wasn't a big property, you know, a big sale. But, um, knowing, Where to strategically place your number. You know, we, we bid I think three 30. It was, uh, 2 99 was the asking price. So you always wanna go just above where everyone else might go. You know, most people are gonna bid like 300, 3 0 5, right? 25. We wanted to go just above all [00:07:00] that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, could 

Tracy Hayes: be because you already did the evaluation that if you 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yes. 

Tracy Hayes: Spent whatever amount of money on this home, it could sell for 

Holly Reaves Griggs: 600. Yeah, it sold for 600. 

Tracy Hayes: Wow. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Um. I think that that part right there is where Um, a lot of agents could really expand their horizons like you, like you did. I mean, to learn that the, to go in there and evaluate, did you go in when you, did you evaluate that property yourself and say, okay, Hey, we need to gut that.

Tracy Hayes: That's going to cost this much. Where did you, where did you get those numbers? Cause this was your kind of your first one, right? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It was. So at the same time. I was also renovating my personal townhome that I bought in Atlanta Beach. Uh, so I already had some subs, you know, that I was working with. Cool. And I kind of knew, you know, I've always been in design and liked things, you know, to do with renovating houses.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But I've never really done a full renovation until then. 

Tracy Hayes: Right. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, but after that, too, I think, you know, it's, uh, I 

Tracy Hayes: know. I gotta buy smaller headsets. I apologize. You're not the first [00:08:00] person. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Anyway, this property had a pool. You know, making sure that you get it inspected and you kind of use that inspection report to know where you want to go after that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah, 

Tracy Hayes: turn it more up top of your head. Let it sort there. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: But, uh, you know, we had to replaster the pool. Put a new roof on. We painted the exterior, we pulled all the floors out, all the cabinets out on the inside. It was a complete gut. We, we kind of took it down to the studs, but we didn't take the drywall off, you know?

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. Um, we did all the electrical, plumbing was new, you know, everything. Right. But once I did that property, then I think my investors really like, their eyes got big. Like, whoa, you know, she knows a little bit about this and she knows cut her hands dirty. Right. Yeah. And then the property had multiple offers and nothing had ever sold for that price per square foot at that time.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Wow. I put something out there and we just tested the market and I have multiple offers. So, 

Tracy Hayes: um, I know we're, we're, this is normally a conversation we have 45 minutes into the thing, but this is good. Good. We're on this line. Cause I think this is important as an agent, as you, you know, uh, [00:09:00] was about the 2016, if I saw correctly, when you got into real estate, so you're eight years in going on nine years, how important is, Is it, or has it been for your, uh, career to continue to grow, to expand your, you've invested in your own properties, you've, you've done flips.

Tracy Hayes: Now you're, you're already got an eye out there for developers are already like talking to people you're talking to, or like, Hey, if you can find a property, let me know. I'm, I might be interested in, you know, uh, like the townhome project to start to, um, Dabble in some of these things to start to have some of these contractors on your speed dial because I think you know as we go The demand is so high The builders quality is not that great.

Tracy Hayes: These older homes are built better, but they they need some 

Holly Reaves Griggs: People want character in a house, you know, and I think that I have a good eye. I've always had that, whether it be for design or interior design, you know, like fashion as well. But, [00:10:00] uh, allow my creativity to flow and what I'm doing today is just so much fun for me.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And I definitely think it's a niche. Um, you know, it's funny when I started in real estate, 2016, I was selling life insurance. I was in a call center and I was taking my breaks. hours and I was calling my customers back for about one year. And then I realized that I was really doing a disservice to my customers and I needed to quit the life insurance.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So I went full time into real estate. Um, you know, and I thought I'd just be a real estate agent, you know, like everyone else's just sell single family homes and I didn't know it was going to lead to all this, but right now, today, I have nine design projects that I'm managing that probably total about 16 million.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, I've got, and all nine of those will be listings. So it's really neat whenever I'm the designer because I know everything about those products. And then I take them to market and I can take the people through there and they know exactly what they're getting. You know, I'm, I can sell the product.

Tracy Hayes: What's the, you know, thinking about? Yep, eight years ago. You're coming in you're working part [00:11:00] time basically right and mulled over to now People are calling on you as a, you know, a serious resource. I mean, that's a lot of, you know, these are big projects, 9 million townhome project. I mean, these are, I mean, serious projects and they're relying on you and your experience and professionalism.

Tracy Hayes: I mean, I mean, how, how does that make you feel? I mean, just. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It makes me feel great. I mean, obviously I'm very busy, but I'm never too busy for, you know, any other customers that may call me. And I get a lot of referral customers. I would say it probably took about two years until, you know, I got my feet wet in the business and people started calling me back and, you know, people tend to stay in their houses like three to five years.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. So at this point, I'm getting, you know, parents and then they're moving or they're, uh, you know, having babies and getting married and, you know, people keep calling me back. Right. So I've got a great sphere of influence and that trickled in with the investor business. It was fantastic. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, being born and raised here, [00:12:00] um, and I was reading through your bio and I kind of put a couple of lines in the different bios where I put that kind of stuff.

Tracy Hayes: Um, you know, you, you, you've, you've, you've, you've, you've, you've, you've, I'm going to use the word I would use. You have, you have a heartbeat. I think you said the nightlife and everything going on, you know, you, you're trying to express that. Hey, I'm involved in the community. I mean, how in your relationships with these clients and them calling you back, the fact that you are involved, you're down at zoning, you're, you're seeing what's going on.

Tracy Hayes: You're hearing the different things. And obviously some of the social and entertainment things that you were kind of expressing there in the bio that you, that you know of how that, uh, has, uh, you know, helped you build these relationships and these people calling you back? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, you know, I live at the beach and so I work, I play, um, you know, I do everything there live, work and play where I dabble in business.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And it's pretty much a 10 mile stretch, you know, Ponte Vedra, uh, Jacksonville beach, Neptune beach, Atlanta beach. Uh, so I know that area very well. And I think that in order to be a really good agent, you need to [00:13:00] be hyper focused on your area. Um, so my farm area is The beach. Right. Most of my business is out there.

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's not that I don't go outside the beach. I do. Right. But for the majority of it, it's, it's right there. So I know it very well. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, you know, this is generally one of the last questions asked was that we're on the hyper focus thing and what, and what you believe in. I mean, an agent coming in or maybe an agent who's been doing this for a few years is kind of scattered and running all over the place.

Tracy Hayes: I know some, some agents have changed brokerages because they thought it would expand their thing. Or some people have joined Engel and Volkers because they feel it has an international, um, presence. Yes. Um, but really, you know, here, you're with Engel and Volkers and you're talking about Ponte Vedra Beach as your, um, Your your space you own it.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, actually probably jacksonville beach neptune atlantic. I dabble well spills over Definitely spills over but um, you know, it's funny. I've been with england brokers five years I've been with five brokerages in my career though. And all right, those all 

Tracy Hayes: weren't on your linkedin though [00:14:00] 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So, five different brokerages, but five years with England Brokerage.

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's the longest I've been with any brokerage, and I do love it there. Um, you know, I think that we started out as, we had 26 advisors, and we've grown now to I think 140. Right. But, uh, you know, it has that local boutique feel, and, uh, one of my taglines you'll see on my Instagram and places is Luxury is a Service, and I think that's what makes me different than a lot of people.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I mean, I Great service, I think, but you know, I, it is very personalized with me. I don't even have a CRM. Like I don't send out a 

Tracy Hayes: spreadsheet at home. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I keep them all in my own last database. I know Corey's going to say, why you don't do that? But you need to download that. To be honest with you. I get so excited.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So much business just from, you know, people reaching out to me that, uh, I don't need to touch. I mean, I do touch them in different ways, right? But, but they know that they get my full attention. You know, my, um, expertise, I think goes beyond the design and the, um, personal, you know, interaction. I think it also goes like I very, I'm an expert in portability, [00:15:00] um, and that's a very important feature.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Mm-Hmm, for like sellers before they sell. You have to make sure that you have maximized your portability so you can take it to the next right. But I don't think anyone's out there doing that either. I mean, there are companies in charge to do it, but I don't do it for my sellers when I see the need.

Tracy Hayes: Actually, I was just talking to my boss, and she was she was talking about portability, and they have, you know, they have lunch and learns or whatever, and classes about it but I don't think enough agents are, because I think right now you can agree or disagree with me. Insurance is so vitally important right now.

Tracy Hayes: Getting that quote up front, so they know what they're dealing with, um, and then portability being that, that second thing you need to be an expert in it. Uh, not next, I don't, well, you could tell me more because I, you obviously, this is something that you're, you're dealing with the client. But I personally.

Tracy Hayes: You know, that's not an interaction that I have too much with him But to be able to explain it to him again going back [00:16:00] to the county saying hey, what is you know? Yeah, you know, how's this gonna change things for me? And I think you're one of the just closed alone on the last day of the month the current property taxes Or were like 700 some odd dollars.

Tracy Hayes: Yeah It's now a 400, 000 property. I don't know how long the previous owners were in it, but it's probably a while. They had some different exemptions. Well, obviously those taxes are going to go like four grand. And so these people are going to get a shock in November of 25 when they get that new tax bill.

Tracy Hayes: So letting them know this stuff up front is important 

Holly Reaves Griggs: in continuing 

Tracy Hayes: your reputation and service. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So definitely with a buyer, it's important to let them know, like, you know, a lot of lenders will send the estimate for the payment on a buyer, uh, you know, The principal and interest and they'll estimate the hazard insurance.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But I see it all too often where they're estimating it based on the current taxes. So I always like to let them know, you know, there's a tool if you go to Duval County Property Tax Estimator and you can estimate the property taxes. Now you have to put in the assessed value. Now, who knows what the assessed value [00:17:00] is?

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's always a different story. So I would say they probably use about 85 percent of the sales price in most cases. They don't include things like commissions and stuff like that in the full price to assess your property. But if you plug that number in, deduct the homestead exemption, you can get the estimate of what it should be for the customer.

Holly Reaves Griggs: On the sales side of it, like for the seller, I've got one right now where I'm actually designing her property. We're doing a full renovation. It's going to be listed next week. I'm excited about that one in Jacksonville Beach. But, uh, she has been on the property five years. So when she bought it, it was 3.

Holly Reaves Griggs: 55. We're gonna list for 7. 25. So her market value has not grown as much as her, as it should. Uh, because it's an algorithm, right? The county takes the algorithm and they base that, you know, every year. So, you know, with the homestead exemption, your property taxes cannot go up more than 3 percent annually.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But your market, people get that in the mail, the trim notice, the truth of military, right? And they get that in August, and they go, oh, yay, it's low. Well, you don't want [00:18:00] the market value to be low. You want that to be as high as possible. So, if ever you look at that market value, and it's not in line with where it should be, which is about 85 percent of what you could sell it for today.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. Then you need to be talking to the county about raising that value. So I've done it for most of my, uh, many of my sellers when I see the need, but what I have to do is very involved. So I have to send them, gosh, you have to, they, they base it on January 1st. So like we're in April right now. So the property that I'm listing next week, I'm going to help my seller as well.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But I have to go back to January. I have to pull comps, you know, from basically last year, December, whatever, send those into them. Show them that the value is higher than what they have online, and then they will reassess that based on the market, again, the market value they reassess. So it's going to increase reportability when we help her find the next house.

Tracy Hayes: Right. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's confusing. I know. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, yeah, to verbalize it, that I wasn't focused on that. What I, what blows me, it goes through what you're telling me and just blows me up is you get detailed [00:19:00] like that. Yeah. And that has been part of your success is because you are going the extra mile. The average agent. Um, they're just going to toss them off on the county a little bit and then whether or not the person does it or not, the fact that you're doing it or, you know, basically bringing the horse to the water, um, and making it so easy for them to, to get it, to get the information that they need, that they are not even thinking, they don't, they're not thinking about this.

Holly Reaves Griggs: No. Well, you know that you can only take a, there's a maximum of 500, 000 in portability, right? That you can take. Every 100, 000 equates to about 2, 000 annually in savings for the rest of the time they own that next house. So it's very important. And once you sell a house, you can't go and fight that market value with accounting.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Or you have to have an addendum signed by the buyer, and I have, I have an addendum that I use at times if we don't have time to get it disputed and get that appeal, you know, turned over for the market value. But in a lot of cases, because most agents, you know, You know, or not knowledgeable about it. They don't know how to explain it to their buyer.

Holly Reaves Griggs: If I'm on the listing [00:20:00] side, Hey, sign this because their properties are going to be reassessed next year. Anyway, it has no effect on them, but I'm trying to help my seller get their market value up. So the key is to do that before you list. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Yeah. Well, we were talking about AI before the show. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Um, someone can create a GPT to actually do that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I need to learn how to do that. We gotta call Carrie and tell her, How do you create a GPT? I love that podcast with Carrie. It was so informative, and I'm trying to get more into AI, and not to be unauthentic, but to use it to help my business in ways like this. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, yeah, to be able to add, to go the extra mile without spending a lot more time.

Tracy Hayes: Exactly. I mean, I think you would agree, I can just feel it from you, that, you know, You focus on every client that's in front of you and try to provide as much value. You know that you can say, Oh, they're buying in Ponte Vedra that, Oh, they make enough money, they can afford whatever the taxes are. So I'm not going to bother, you know, right.

Tracy Hayes: They'll figure it out when they get there. Cause I don't want to take the time. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: When you go that extra mile, that's when they know that you care about them. I mean, really all [00:21:00] my customers are like family to me. You know, if you think about the time that you spend with a buyer or even a seller, sometimes it can be the amount of time that you have a baby carry a baby in that But they really do become like family and I miss them when the transaction closes.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But then they call me back and I get to help their family and their friends and so it's all a win win. 

Tracy Hayes: I saw, I don't know, it was a reel or somebody commented because I listened to Bloomberg in the morning, I come put it on the TV there, and um, uh, that, you know, for the next, you know, period of time, uh, you know, where they thought interest rates are going to go down.

Tracy Hayes: They've gone up. So obviously you have a lot of people like, oh, I'm gonna wait for interest rates to go down. So they're still on the sidelines. It's like you may be working for some, with some of these people for a year or two. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. It could be. Yeah. Or you need to be 

Tracy Hayes: continuing touching them until that point because you don't want to, hey, you got the app now.

Tracy Hayes: Oh, they can't really afford what they want. Nothing's good. It may be 24 months before, you know, whether rates or whatever happens that makes it now affordable. You know, you want to keep trickling on those people and keep reaching out to them, [00:22:00] um, uh, for future clients. Um, we jumped ahead a little bit, so I'm going to go back a little bit in your history.

Tracy Hayes: You spent 15 years at AT& T. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I did, yes. Corporate America. 

Tracy Hayes: Uh, imagine a lot of, you, you were in a lot of sales there. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yes. I started out in directory assistance. Remember when you used to call 411? Yeah. It's now automated. Oh, that was you? Is that what we were crank calling 

Tracy Hayes: you? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I used my middle name, not my first name, but, uh, yeah, I would work like night shifts and oh my gosh, it was, it was really tiresome because I would go in at like 11 o'clock at night.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Then I'd have a split shift the next day at 9 a. m. So I would just sleep in the break room for, you know, on the couch for an hour or two. And go back in. But, uh, I was in many facets in that industry. You know, I, I excelled there as well. And I think it's because, you know, I'm a people person, so I'm great at sales.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But, um, I evolved to, where did I go from there? I think I went into collections, and then I went into small business. I was also in mobility for a while, doing tech support. Um, I [00:23:00] transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina. And about 2002, I was there two years and then moved back. They transferred me back, but I was kind of bored with Jacksonville a little bit.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And I said, I Googled online. It was single time best place for a single girl in her thirties to live. And it said, Charlotte, so I said, I'm going, Charlotte 

Tracy Hayes: was becoming a financial hub at the time. Right. To try to get a job. Whatever area there. Yeah, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: and you know, I still have some great friends there to this day One actually visited my husband and I about three weeks ago, and I just love those people there.

Holly Reaves Griggs: They're amazing. Really great people so with 

Tracy Hayes: all the the the corporate training your experience managing people dealing with Uh people not only on the phone, but you were in some management positions if i'm not i was mistaken um, how What can you some of the things that you do today if you take a moment?

Tracy Hayes: Maybe you don't even think about it That you learned that's 15 years there from pretty much your, you know, one of your first jobs, uh, professional jobs, uh, 15 years. What do you, what do you take there? Your, some of those experiences, some of [00:24:00] those trainings to your, what you do today. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, I mean, I would say that in Bell South, you know, I was leading people, uh, leading them to, uh, success and, uh, sales, um, in our organization.

Holly Reaves Griggs: There was always quotas, you know, we don't really have, I guess you kind of have goals for yourself in real estate, not really quotas, but, um, I think what it came down to, you know, with me and Bell South and why I was successful is because I'm a people person, you know, and I know how to manage people, you know, I'm, um, I don't want to say a chameleon, but you can be a chameleon and adapt your personality to whoever you're in front of, you know, and I think being able to do that, you know, sets you apart from the rest.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So there's some people that other people just can't be around or, you know, get along with or manage. And, you know, I was able to, uh, That's interesting 

Tracy Hayes: you say that. So I, the previous book to, well, two books back, actually, it's, it was written by, uh, wasn't a classmate, but he graduated a year before me at CITL.

Tracy Hayes: Um, and I've mentioned it on the [00:25:00] show, Marine Maxims is the name of it, but he talks, he, he recorded his entire 30 year career in the Marine Corps. Wow. Um, retiring as a colonel. He studied leadership and he quotes and references a lot of these books that have been written over I mean go back far back Greek times, right Talking about leadership and I mean, it's really well done, but one of the things I caught from him and actually there was another Person that I had on the show and I can't think of who it was right now.

Tracy Hayes: It'll come to me But it shocked me There understanding of dealing with that. Person in front because everyone's different where I have been For a lot of times probably why I don't really want to get into management because I always feel like well I just treat everybody the same. No You do when when it comes to You know rewards and stuff like that.

Tracy Hayes: You don't want to you know, uh, but how you talk to them Uh, or don't [00:26:00] talk to them, right? Some people don't you don't need to The better, the less you talk to them, the better you are, let them go do their thing. And how important it is to be that chameleon that you're talking about. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: And you know, customers are really the same way.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So whether my customer is in real estate right now, my buyers, my sellers, my investors, you know, back then in Bell South, it was my, in my team members, but, uh, you really have to be able to adapt to different personalities. Yeah. Everyone's different. And people want to be heard. They want to, they want to felt, they want to feel like they're heard and they're cared about, you know, and that you care about their wellbeing.

Tracy Hayes: Um, you're on the same page as them. I imagine some of the investors when they're, they're talking to you, that you're seeing what they, obviously they have a vision, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: right? 

Tracy Hayes: Um, for them, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: it's not emotional. It's more, you know, ROI, what's my return on investment? Right. How can I, I 

Tracy Hayes: see this, how can I deliver it and still make a dollar on it?

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Um, do you. Um, I imagine you've taken some of the different, the disc or what, that, that kind of stuff. I'm 

Holly Reaves Griggs: [00:27:00] an 

Tracy Hayes: ENFP. When you, you are like going, how do you evaluate someone basically? Cause I think a lot of people go and take those trainings or that, you know, they go and take the disc test or, you know, they go sit in one of the seminars and they learn, okay.

Tracy Hayes: How are you actually processing that when you're in front of someone new that you've never met before? You know, are you actually thinking in your head while they're talking? Mm-Hmm. , while you're asking questions, going back and forth, actually thinking, is this person a, a d, an I? You know, that kind of thing.

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. How do you, how do you, how do you evaluate that yourself? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, for me personally, you know, I'm an ENFP, so I'm an, uh, extrovert, intuitive feel of perceiver, and I think that that really takes me a long way with my customers. Mm-Hmm. . Um, I have a, um, standard form that I use if I'm. I'm speaking with somebody brand new, maybe it's a buyer, and, you know, I go through those questions.

Holly Reaves Griggs: During that conversation, I can kind of gauge, you know, who they are a little bit. You know, I get a little bit of background about them, I tell them a little bit about me, and, you know, I think from after that call, I've, you know, kind of learned a little bit more about them and, and how we're going to interact [00:28:00] together and how they will best, um, perceive it.

Tracy Hayes: How, when you're, and this is a, it's popping into my head, but I've got to ask, because I, that's why I, the curiosity of how people process, I should have been a psychology major, I've said that a million times in my life. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I know, 

Tracy Hayes: it's very interesting. Yeah, how people, uh, think and so forth. Um, to have a discussion, even outside of just buying and selling the home, or that investor, to kind of, you know, and some of them aren't so welcoming to, You know give you It's not like you digging into too personal though.

Tracy Hayes: You have to ask some personal questions like where's your money coming from? You got to know that but to get to know like hey what their kids name I mean some people go as far as the dogs and the cats names and stuff like that How important is that? Have you ever you've learned at the Uh, you're leveraging relationships because obviously people calling you back, they like you.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: So you must've been something you did that you got the like trust, uh, feeling with them. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, I think you [00:29:00] learn what's important to them. You know, I've got customers right now that I'm working with buyers and they were actually buyers and then I helped them sell their house last year, put them in a rental and we're finding them another property now to buy, but they love their dog.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Their dog is like their, you know, family. Yeah. And they'll send me pictures of their dog. And I, you know, blow kisses at the dog. And when I see them, you know, but I love animals myself. So, you know, it's just, they know that I'm kind of involved with them and what's important to them. Do 

Tracy Hayes: you troll social media to find out something about them?

Holly Reaves Griggs: You know, I've got a questionnaire that, you know, when I first met them, they were brand new. Didn't know them. They were a referral from another agent down in Orlando. And, you know, I have my questionnaire I go through. And part of that questionnaire is, you know, tell me about, do you have any kids? Do we need to be looking at special school districts?

Holly Reaves Griggs: Do you have any pets? Do we need to look at a big yard, a fence shent yard? Things like that. So you find out those questions. Ah. And it's not really, uh, you know, uh, it's intuitive after you're done, but you haven't really, like, you know, 

Tracy Hayes: When they say to you, you have a dog, they don't just say, yeah, one dog.

Tracy Hayes: No, [00:30:00] they say my dog, his name is so and so. And they write a paragraph. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Oh, no, I have some customers like they'll go on and, Oh yes. And his name is Bodie. Bodie's our baby. Olivier or whoever it is. Right. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Um, You dabble a little, you get inter, I think it was like 10 or 11, 2010 or 11, you get introduced to interior design, you worked there for a few years at, uh, design and staging company.

Tracy Hayes: Is that? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It was my own company. It 

Tracy Hayes: was your own company? Yeah. So you started your own company. Where did you, so at that time, what was going on leaving AT& T and, and doing that? What, where did you see a need or was just, you know, something in your heart that I love doing this? Yeah. I, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, so, let's see, it was 2008 when, you know, 2008 is when it happened, right?

Holly Reaves Griggs: That was the recession. A lot of companies, you know, shut down, Bell South included, here in the Jacksonville area. So, you know, I went on to other things. I took a little sabbatical, maybe traveled for a year, and then I was like, what am I gonna do, you know? And I've always loved design, so, I was actually buying [00:31:00] and selling, uh, you know, design merchandise, and, um, doing a little bit of staging, and that kind of led me onto, it's 2016, I said, well, I want to get my real estate license.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I've always been, you know, enjoyed real estate and designing and staging the properties and all of that. So why not get in and start selling them? Right. So it kind of led, you know, one thing to another, but you know, I think a lot of people don't want to get their feet completely wet in the beginning and they're scared to make that transition.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, so they, you know, hold two jobs and like I did in the first year, but, but then it just really took off. Yeah. You know, I, I'm more of a person. I can't be, uh, like tied down and I don't know how I did it. 15 years. Well, they moved you to Charlotte. So broke the 

Tracy Hayes: broke trend a little bit. And 

Holly Reaves Griggs: then I was a leadership coach there for a while.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So I actually had a territory like Charleston and Greenville and Raleigh. And then I was based out of Charlotte. So I was traveling for a bit and I was, um, in a leadership role where I coached the managers. So that was fun because [00:32:00] I'm out of the office. Like for me being in an office all day is, you know, I just can't handle it.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And that's why I think I love what I do so much because every day is different. You know, it's always a new challenge. I always learn something different in this business, but no, regardless, I'm around people and I'm learning so much about them and, and they're all different. 

Tracy Hayes: Right. So you dabble a little bit in, in life insurance prior to, prior to making the jump in the real estate in 16.

Tracy Hayes: What's easier, life insurance or selling a house? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Uh, I guess it depends on the day. Right. But, you know, for me it's selling life insurance. Uh, you know, I don't like, I'm not the type to be on the phone, you know, all day. And you're taking calls, I mean, you're helping them with a, with a service. Right. And you're giving them something they need to make sure that their families are taken care of.

Holly Reaves Griggs: God forbid something happens. But But it was a stepping stone, you know, I knew it was a great company. I enjoy working there. It's some great people, but it was definitely a stepping stone. I knew that all along. 

Tracy Hayes: I imagine they had some [00:33:00] sort of sales training. through and not just their product. But I mean, because you are, it's a lot of calls, right?

Tracy Hayes: Isn't that primarily what you imagine? Probably thought, well, I used to work in a call center anyway. I can handle making those calls, but there's a little burnout after a while. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It took 

Tracy Hayes: 12 years for me doing in the mortgage business to finally get out. A 

Holly Reaves Griggs: lot of companies want you to have. Scripts these days.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And for me, I've never done well with a script. 100%. I'm so off script. It's pathetic. Like, I don't want to read from a paper and you tell me what to say. Like, let me be myself. So I think that's a problem with me. And, you know, those kind of companies because it just, it's not a good fit. 

Tracy Hayes: No, I totally, I totally agree.

Tracy Hayes: I mean, I started off at Quicken Loans in 2005 call center. Then they started to evolve. They had some scripts then a little bit. Um, it got a little worse. I went to Lone Depot. I was working from a call center situation, uh, for a couple years and they were, they really wanted you to use that script and the guy, I know the guy [00:34:00] writing it.

Tracy Hayes: I wasn't really impressed by him. I know it was his baby and I'm reading it and I'm like, that's not me. That's this guy. I don't even really, I'm looking at him going you're somebody's buddy that got this job. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. And then they want to time you on the calls too. They're listening in and I'll, yeah. And you're going to be timed.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Like you got to hurry up. Yeah. You know, it's not that I go slow, it's slow, it's snail's pace. But at the same time, that's part of being you and, you know, naturally organically having conversations with people. 

Tracy Hayes: Right. Uh, yeah, they would go in and listen. At the time, um, It was unreimbursed business expenses on the tax return and it became a big deal now They took it out of the picture totally because they realized what was happening and I remember this customer one customer specifically Uh, she was an artist so she had her art business Well, I don't know they might have sold if they sold 500 in art throughout the year But they had all these other expenses, you know, they put in on the unreimbursed [00:35:00] business expenses thing And so, you know, you're looking at the tax return or their w 2 if they're w 2 at that, you know, and you go Okay, they're w 2 a real easy income.

Tracy Hayes: No problem. That's what they make. Oh Uh, they pulled their tax transcript. They've got X thousands of dollars. Oh, now we got to decline their income. They've gotten rid of that now, but that was a big question. Like they're listening, or did you ask that question about on reimbursement, this loan blew up because you didn't ask about it.

Tracy Hayes: Like right off the, luckily they've gotten rid of that, uh, lending side there. All right. So you, you're, you're still dabbling in insurance. You're moving over to, um, to the real estate. What finally, what's that day that you say I'm going full time. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, I was actually at the real estate, I mean, the insurance company, and I was taking a break to call a customer back who wanted to see a house.

Holly Reaves Griggs: This was probably in 2017, you know, the market was still a little bit different there. Prices were sitting a little bit longer. They're still recovering from the recession. But, but I, I was selling houses and I was closing deals and [00:36:00] I'm like, well, wait a minute, this is, uh, you know, and I couldn't show them properties.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You started making more 

Tracy Hayes: money there than you were. I was. So I 

Holly Reaves Griggs: said, okay, this has got to go. I just want to, you know, have the autonomy to create my own schedule and to be there for my customers. And it wasn't fair to them because I, you know, wasn't there full time. Um, so, so I let them know that I was leaving for that time.

Tracy Hayes: All right, so I if you've listened to any of my podcasts I like to dig into this because I think this is the most important One of the most important pieces to a real estate agent success There's some agents that could pretty much work for any brokerage because they just do it all themselves They understand the business to just go but there's a lot that don't renew after two years, right?

Tracy Hayes: We know what is 80 percent don't even renew their licenses. It's huge turnover every, every, uh, every, every year when they don't, they come up on their two year renewal, um, the brokerage. That very first brokerage for you. How are you, how are you [00:37:00] introduced? You know, with somebody, did you know somebody who was working there?

Tracy Hayes: Obviously you were working part time with them, but 

Holly Reaves Griggs: what, 

Tracy Hayes: what was the first broker choice? How did you come upon them? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: You want me to tell you the name or just leave that out? You 

Tracy Hayes: can, it's on your LinkedIn if anyone wants to, but you can use names. I don't use names that you are welcome to use any name.

Tracy Hayes: Berkshire 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Hathaway and they're a great brokerage. Um, I wanted to start with them because I lived in Atlanta beach, so they were right around the corner from my place and you know, I thought it would be. Great, you know, easy to pop into the office and, you know, I met a lot of great people there. Um, and it was fantastic.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, but then, you know, I maybe get bored, I guess, and I move along and wanted to learn something else. I actually think that because I've been with many brokerages, I've learned a lot along the way. Right. Um, but I went to Exit Realistic Gallery after that and that was another fantastic brokerage. Um, but then I moved on and, uh, went to South of Bees.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, and then I went to Keller Williams. I was probably there maybe a year and a half or so. And then moved on to Engel and Volkers. And I've been there five years. 

Tracy Hayes: So, it, [00:38:00] so those are, you know, probably one year, roughly one year stints at each play. Maybe. You know, give or 

Holly Reaves Griggs: take. Maybe. 

Tracy Hayes: A couple months, whatever.

Tracy Hayes: So, um, Did you go, did you make the change thinking, you know, like that, you know, as many people think the grass is greener, right? It's gonna be greener over there. Um, like you said, you, you learn stuff from them, but there has, There had to be a value drop and where you were at where you're like, well, I thought I was gonna get this yeah, and Matt might have lasted a couple months and then also in the third month it started to go downhill and you're like I don't I came over here for that and We've changed the attitude the culture.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I think that every brokerage really has something to offer, you know, and I won't name any names But there's one particular brokerage I was with that I think caters to new agents. And they have excellent training programs. But when I went on with them, I wasn't a new agent. I needed a little bit more. I was delving into the luxury market a little bit because, you know, the beach, our prices are higher.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So I can't help it. It's just a victim of where I live. You know, circumstance. And, um. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, it's an [00:39:00] ideal place where any agent would love to be working. Right. Right. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So, you know, my average sales price, I think it's around 700, 000. But again, you know, I deal with other properties that are lower in value, but it's just the beaches are, you know, continually growing.

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's your home turf, right? Um, you know, and then I think, uh, competing brokers, you know, I was with a broker who had a competing broker. And for me, that's not, you know, really where I wanted to be. And I saw that all my calls for my listings were going directly to them and they weren't answering and the voicemail wasn't picking up and I wasn't getting the calls.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I'm like, okay, this is not going to work. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, But, you know, and then I thought I had luxury support. 

Tracy Hayes: Because they were putting the office number on the, on the, on the listing instead of your cell phone. For 

Holly Reaves Griggs: the competing broker. 

Tracy Hayes: Right. Brokerage. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Um, so a tip to anyone out there who's in a situation like this, make sure your number is on there so you don't run into this situation.

Tracy Hayes: Because my 

Holly Reaves Griggs: seller tested it. When I listed the two million dollar property, he called the number to see where it went. And it went to that brokerage and the voicemail was full. I know, right? So that, that [00:40:00] didn't last very long. Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: With me. Yeah. Um, and it's not, and, I've heard people say, or I've heard some brokers say, you know, we're not in production.

Tracy Hayes: As if that's a selling point. But really it's a selling point that you have integrity. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yes. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: absolutely. You have to have integrity. But I think, you know, for the particular brokerage where that happened, uh, and they were competing brokers, they were too busy on their own things to offer support. And anytime you start any new brokerage, I mean, you need some kind of support, whether it's admin, marketing, just training, you know, coming on board.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You can't just send them to the wolves. 

Tracy Hayes: I think, you know, I talked to, uh, Pamela Hoffman or Kathy kind of got to the same thing why she went to Engle and and I know everyone I like I said that on that show. I haven't heard anyone say anything negative about Corey yet and we find something but

Tracy Hayes: Yo in because obviously he Sets is all engel volkers that kind of have that. Um, you're going to use the word [00:41:00] attitude, but the you know They do want that someone who's already producing They're not they're not hiring a new agent unless you're coming in with a team or something like that from what i've Understand and talking to cory.

Tracy Hayes: You're really he really wants producers and um So my friend of all engel all engel volkers kind of have that attitudes or that cory's kind of thing here in first coast 

Holly Reaves Griggs: To do a minimum of three million annually to be able to that's kind of all engel volkers attitude Also, you know, he wants to interview people to make sure that they're a good fit for our brand.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Because not everyone is, you know, it just really depends. I think if you look at a lot of these, um, you know, social media pages for some realtors, I'm like astonished on some of the things they put online. You know, I mean, I think that your customers are also watching and following you, so you really need to be careful about your choice of words and, you know, what you're posting and things like that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So, I think that he does a good job in managing and making sure that, you know, He has the right people. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, you know, I just use the example. I mean, I can imagine, you know, when you guys do have your, your sales meetings and so forth, it's, it's a higher level conversation, um, than [00:42:00] a lot of the stuff. Like you said, it's some of these brokerages that do cater to the newer ones.

Tracy Hayes: It's always dulled down because the majority of the people in that room to where you're more experienced agency to just go out and do their own thing. And maybe they're asked to come in and train, uh, so they're, you know, uh, given some ego there to be able to be put in front of the room. But. You know, the attitude at Engel Volkers is everyone's a high level and you're probably sharing and you got people who want to know some of the stuff you're doing like dealing with investors because that's the level of real estate that they want to be dabbling in.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So we do agent roundtables, I think, once a month and basically it's a conference call. Sometimes we do them in person, but on those calls or webinars that we do, we're talking about what's going on in the market and how we can continue to elevate ourselves. It's not about. How can we get leads? How can we do this?

Holly Reaves Griggs: How can we do that? Because most of us are experienced agents who already have a sphere of influence. So yeah, I think with the other, you know, brokerages, depending on if, you know, they cater to newbies, they're talking about, hey, how do you build a sphere of influence? How do you do this? [00:43:00] How can you touch your people?

Holly Reaves Griggs: And not to say we don't do that, but I think we're trying to stay on top of, you know, there's so much going on in the real estate industry right now, and we're trying to stay ahead of that. 

Tracy Hayes: That's a great way to explain that exactly there They're talking about how to actually get you you have the leads and you're trying to move to another level You're trying to or broaden your base like you did by Finding out you know, how do we do flips now?

Tracy Hayes: I can talk to people about flips I have credibility and flipping because I've done my own and in dealing with the investors and so forth You you you have the ability to expand you're not worried about The next client coming in, you know, just trying to get next month's deal, uh, to move forward. That's, that's a great way.

Tracy Hayes: So, uh, let's say a girlfriend of yours says, Hey, I'm thinking about getting into real estate. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: A lot of people ask me that. I'm sure you do 

Tracy Hayes: every day. Everybody 

Holly Reaves Griggs: wants to get a real estate license. 

Tracy Hayes: What do you say? What's your answer to that? How do you, how do you address that? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, I'll be honest with you. I tell them, uh, if you want to start in real [00:44:00] estate, then the first step is going to be to get your license.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And I always recommend them go to the school that I went to because I thought it was, um, very neat, very different than most other ones out there. Um, you know, I can plug them if you want, but, uh, it's floridarealestateschool. com. I think they're out of Miami. And the, uh, gentleman who runs that, he has, uh, catered his training to touch to all learning styles, you know, we don't, we're not all the same.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. We talked about that earlier. So like some people learn auditory by hearing things are auditory, uh, we're visual or we're hands on, but he really touches all three learning styles. So, you know, most people fail the test when they first take it. Right. And for me, I went in to take the, sit down for the state exam and they give you three hours.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I was done in an hour and a half. I'm like. I need to like double check the answers. This just can't be possible. You know, I'm like, okay, no, I'm not going to second guess myself. And I walked out and, you know, they don't tell you what your grade is. It's just if you pass or fail. I think now they've changed that, but back then they didn't.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And they told me I passed. I was like, yes. [00:45:00] 

Tracy Hayes: It doesn't matter as long as you have the P. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: He really did a good job with his training to help me prep for the state exam. 

Tracy Hayes: Alright, so, going to the right school. Yes. Alright. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: That's the first 

Tracy Hayes: step. So, alright, yeah, so what do you, when you tell them about the business, I mean, what, um, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I mean, that's a big point.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Because everyone has 

Tracy Hayes: their image of what, you know, of course, you know, we see what we see on TV or social media. Yeah. Do you kind of tell them, like, you know, You know, 80 percent drop, fall out. So not that I'm going to say you're falling out cause you don't want to be negative to them, but, um, percentages as you are.

Holly Reaves Griggs: It really is a big commitment, you know, and that's why I start with the school and I say, okay, you know, here's where I went to school and I highly recommend that you, you know, check them out. And if you want to get further, you know, I've had some people that are close to me that, you know, I said, okay, you know, I'll kind of give you the ropes after you get your feet wet a little bit, get your license, because that in itself is probably going to take, you know, six months for the average person, um, But most people don't make it [00:46:00] that far, just like they don't in real estate.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Like you said, I think it's, um, Oh gosh, I don't even know if I know the stats right now, but when I took my test, you know, I was shocked to learn how many people failed the first time around. I think it's like three out of five fail. And then the second time around two out of five fail. So most people can't even make it past the testing.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And then once you get past that, staying in the business, the first two years you might not make any money. Right. You know, I would say the first year I was making money, I was making equivalent to what I was doing in life insurance. So for me, it made sense to move out. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, for you and you're in that first year, uh, was you, were you generating your stuff or was it the brokerage that you get with and, you know, maybe a mentor or something that helped you out?

Tracy Hayes: Or were you really just on your own? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I was on my own. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah, really. And plus I was working a full time job, so working a full time job, doing that part time. I mean, it was hard. I didn't have time to go in and, you know, into the three hours in 

Tracy Hayes: the morning and make cold calls of some offices, you know, they do for the new agency, you, Hey.

Tracy Hayes: 8 to 11 or 9 to 12. Whatever it is. You're you got to make whatever amount of phone calls 

Holly Reaves Griggs: And you [00:47:00] know, no one wants to use you when you're new, right? So even your family members like I had a family member searching for a house And I was really bummed because they didn't want to use me. I'm like what?

Holly Reaves Griggs: You know There's always 

Tracy Hayes: someone though in your family Who will only use you whether it's your first sale last sale doesn't matter those. Yeah, there's there is there is those two, but there are people yeah Um, i'm in the mortgage type. I mean, there's a lot I know and I don't say nothing to them. I understand Uh, you know, they may we're we know each other.

Tracy Hayes: We know like they may not want me to know their finances Others, you know are just like hey, I want to do if you know and I won't go with anyone else. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. But now they all want to use me, you know, for the most part, but it's okay. I mean, I, I realize that They better, by now. What? I realize that I won't always get all the customers and that's okay, you know?

Holly Reaves Griggs: I mean Right. I don't cry over, you know, something that's not going to happen and I'm going to get business and, and I do. So I don't, I don't worry about that. 

Tracy Hayes: So what was your You [00:48:00] got your license. You wrote that with, uh, Berkshire. Mm-Hmm. by the way. Um, what, I mean, how do you drum up the first business?

Tracy Hayes: Was it family? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I was hoping you were gonna ask me that. , lemme tell you about my very first customers. Okay. So I was in Trader Joe's and I love that place. Go in there a couple times a week and I have my name tag on. So I recommend if you're new in the business, always wear your name tag. Always have your name, name tag on always.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Because then you might be able to stem a conversation from that. So I was in this guy's line. He was a cashier. And I think I had wine or something in my basket. And, you know, I was laughing at him. He wanted to see my ID. And I was like, I would love to show you my ID. I wouldn't ask for that anymore.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Anyway, he looked at my tag. He said, And I said, are you, are you a realtor? And I said, yes, I am. He said, my wife and I are moving back to Arkansas. He said, you know what? Everyone else comes through my line. They put their head down. But you, you conversate with me and you talk and we just, I like your personality.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I know my wife would love you. We want you to list our house. And it was right around the corner in Jack's Beach. I called my broker, said, ah, I've never listed. What do I do? But, uh, I could [00:49:00] tell you about every Customer in every sale that I've had, you know, I don't do quantity of transactions. I do quality of transactions So I think I had 23 last year and I do enough to manage my business enough to be able to have a personal life As well, right, but I think that there's something to be said about that, you know, the quality of a quantity 

Tracy Hayes: You're tipping a point of wearing your name tag.

Tracy Hayes: I mean, I think a lot of, um, corporate America or a lot of other jobs, if you're wearing a name tag, they're taking it off as they're walking out the door of that office. How important is it, especially like those people who are asking you, what's it like to be a real estate agent? You live what you do.

Tracy Hayes: It's not a job. So, um, I'm doing a job. This is, it's almost like a lifestyle. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It is. 

Tracy Hayes: Um, and letting other, everyone know what you do in a casual way. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. And you know, it's funny because I don't really have time to have friends. I don't have a lot of friends. My friends, uh, you know, become, my customers kind of become friends.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Like we've [00:50:00] hung out, my husband and I, we do dinner with some of them in the evening and we enjoy that but, you know, I'm so busy that I really don't have a lot of time for personal life. like, other than, you know, when he and I travel occasionally, so. I really just kind of put myself fully into my work, 

Tracy Hayes: right?

Tracy Hayes: But I think, um, one thing people, uh, well, they get the HGTV, right? An image of what a real estate agent is. And you know, a lot of the things they go, Oh, well, they're going out and having, uh, drinks or going out to dinner with their clients. Oh, you know, house. But that's all part of, it's not that you, you, the part of the benefits is you are getting that human reaction.

Tracy Hayes: You are having good conversation or whatever. That's like, that's like a, the, the benefit, but part of it is they're going out because they obviously like and respect you. That's why they accepted the dinner invitation. Maybe they invited you to dinner. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Sometimes I've invited them to dinner as a closing gift and we'll go to a fancy restaurant and we all eat dinner together with their family.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And it's. It's a great way to, you know, [00:51:00] get to know them even better and, uh, they appreciate that. Right. And those have been long term customers who come back for repeat business. A 

Tracy Hayes: hundred percent. And you're, that's, it's just, it's, you don't separate the business with the, the pleasure if you want it to, where this other networking, social interaction, it's everyone knows you're a realtor.

Tracy Hayes: You are a realtor. Everyone needs a well, hopefully not most people need a real estate agent sometime during their life whether it's just one time Whether it's you know, like I said, some people move every three to five years, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: right? 

Tracy Hayes: You know, it's kind of slowed down with the interest rates were but when interest rates were three percent four percent people were moving from Neighborhood to neighborhood every other year.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. Well, 

Tracy Hayes: my friends live over there. I want to move So 

Holly Reaves Griggs: many customers that I have done about three transactions on average with them and helped like their parents or they referred people to me. Um, I, I do subscribe to Boomtown. That's one thing that we, um, you know, Corey's office, uh, was a requirement for me because I was used to that over at, um, Keller no exit.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Okay exit have boomtown. Yeah, and I didn't really have any [00:52:00] success with it then It's sort of like a trickle business for me now like most of my business is spare of influence But I've had a few boomtown customers that are very very, you know I've been very successful with them and I would say I probably closed about 20 million.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Mm hmm Wow, it's I've got one. I closed last week and all together with him three transactions and probably three million and boomtown 

Tracy Hayes: and just last year, last year. Oh, wow. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So, you know, and I think it's, if you are subscribing to any kind of a lead database system, then it's, you've got to work it. If they reach out and have a question, you've got to respond immediately.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, you know, I'm just making sure that you're touching them. 

Tracy Hayes: Um, I use the term resource. How important, you know, you, you, like you said you got your 10 mile stretch of beach out there that you like the ground pound on. Yeah. Uh, how important is it to, to be That resource that I'm sure you're having clients call you they do, you know a good landscaper, you know To have [00:53:00] the have those relationships and be able to recommend to them Yeah, you need to use this person and some of them I imagine some of the price points You're in some elite neighborhoods, too.

Tracy Hayes: So you have to have the service that to that. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So all too often I get, you know, from my buyers and it's a great thing for me to be knowledgeable in the area of, you know, renovations and what things cost. So I've got buyers right now. I'm helping to find, um, you know, a condo at the beach and everyone we've been through.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, what do you think about this? Can you move that wall or can you do this? You know, some of those older buildings, they have lower ceilings and they really only have about like an eighth of an inch between them and the concrete. So you can't like add normal light fixtures, right? It has to be this, Thing the track right a track and you know, also most of the walls are not low bearing But then you've got plumbing and electrical throughout there so it's really hard to change a layout of a condo, but Also knowing what it costs to pull up like existing flooring, you know and put down new flooring So [00:54:00] all those things really come as a great benefit for me when I'm working with my buyers or sellers and they want to make changes 

Tracy Hayes: With the people that you're, because obviously the beaches, um, you know, there are some new construction, obviously you're working with those townhomes.

Tracy Hayes: There's some, but most, a lot of the homes are a little bit older. Um, I know some agents I've had on, um, you know, the general, the general population, I should say in the, um, uh, you know, probably, well, whatever you can consider, from zero to five or 600, 000 right now in this area, depending on where you're at, a lot of those clients really want turnkey houses that are set.

Tracy Hayes: So if you're selling a home that needs a little work, what, what are you recommending to that seller? So It's prepared for that buyer. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I mean, it's, I think most people do want turnkey, but there, you'd be surprised. Some people want to go in and put their own personal touch on it. So they want it for the most part done, especially in a condo, because you have so many restrictions with [00:55:00] hours that you can work and getting approval by the board and, uh, you know, the extra expense because it's a condo, you can't just put a dumpster in front of a condo when you're taking things out.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I'm going through that right now. My husband and I renovate in a condo that we bought right next to ours. Um, but, uh, for the most part they want turnkey because it is a lot of hassle and expense and they don't have the right contractors 

Tracy Hayes: that will show up and yeah, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: but I've got a Rolodex of them and you know, some I've had to let go.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You know, I've learned I think from my own mistakes and certain contractors and then you kind of take that on, you've, you know, learn from it and you can help your next client because they're not going to make that mistakes to him, which he went through, you know, but um, but yeah, I think for the most part people want something that's turnkey.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And. For the most part, everything that I have designed, like, whether it be this one that I'm working on right now, I've got a cellar in Jack's Beach, and I normally don't like to imitate other designs that I've done, but I did use, like, the same backsplash in the kitchen because it's fabulous. I used it in my personal townhome, and I just think that it's really [00:56:00] going to make that extra oomph, you know, that, uh, something when they walk in, and, uh, you know.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, 

Tracy Hayes: they, they like that. I, I chose this bash plastic design because I researched it and I, you know, and they have already have some sort of respect for your eye on, on the design. And there, I use this myself. Yeah, well, that's a huge endorsement right there. Right. They're like, well, then I need to have 

Holly Reaves Griggs: it, but, you know, like trends.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Some of the things that are going out are like, people still love the farmhouse look and don't get me wrong. It's great. Okay. It's a little overplayed. And of course, some of those, uh, investors who go in and flip houses and they're putting all gray, everything in there, you know, or all white kitchens.

Holly Reaves Griggs: There's just no character, no style. So people want that balance in between that character and that style. And that, you know, it looks fresh and modern and kind of organic. So 

Tracy Hayes: when you're working. Because obviously the majority of the sales are, are really, you know, you said your average is 700, really the majority of sales are, are sub that.

Tracy Hayes: And, and the, [00:57:00] just in the planned urban developments, Nakatee and all that, although Nakatee is pushing 100. But when you're dealing with those clients in the, in the, you know, 1. 2, 1. 5, 2 million dollars, and you're going in to list their home. Mm hmm. With the. 700, 000, 800, 000 seller. You're like, Hey, you're competing against new construction.

Tracy Hayes: We need to put some incentives in here. This is how we need to price it because these are what these, these new homes are going for. But when you're dealing at 1. 5, 2 million, they generally have a home that's probably somewhat unique. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Uh, there, how do you approach that in a listing appointment? Um, that, you know, the, the value or what you're going to do versus that 600, 000 seller.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Hmm, that's a good question. Uh, you know, I think I always evaluate whether or not, you know, we need to stage a property. Um, I've staged properties on my own. I could show you pictures. So I use the same furniture in like a one and a half million dollar house. And I use it [00:58:00] in a six hundred thousand dollar house.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But it's all about how you, you know, position it. So, you know, I think staging is important. Being able to walk through and, you know, talk to them about moving things around. Uh, I do have a professional, I Sometimes bring in to help me, you know, to get things to where we need to be to go to market. Do you stage 

Tracy Hayes: a lot of the homes or semi stage some of them because, you know, Maybe they don't have the right furniture in a room.

Tracy Hayes: You need to just make it look a little more 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I did do that for a property that you know, I helped my brother and sister in law sell their town home Probably about a year and a half ago. And I did mailers in that community. I got a call from an, uh, seller who had her property on the market for six months with no offers.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And I went in there and I basically told her, you need to paint this room. Let's make it all, you know, one color, because whenever you walk in, it just breaks it up from the eye. So it makes it look smaller when she had this. The sunroom that was green and everything else was, you know, off white, right? So she did that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: We moved a light. She had a light that was supposed to be in a dining room over in [00:59:00] like an office area. So let's make this a dining room. And then we did, uh, brought in a stager. Sometimes I'll stage myself, but lately I don't have time. So I bring in a really good one that I know. And I said, all right, let's make this, you know, she's brought in pieces.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But I knew that it needed something and we had multiple offers and went 28, 000 above list price in the first weekend 

Tracy Hayes: in the first weekend After six months of selling 

Holly Reaves Griggs: and 

Tracy Hayes: I mean like 

Holly Reaves Griggs: After six months with no offers. 

Tracy Hayes: With less of an hour of observation and doing, doing, and then moving in, moving those pieces, maybe another hour.

Tracy Hayes: So a couple hours of strategically. That, that's what blows my, blows my mind. Because I, I know agents that do what you do. Mm hmm. And then, of course, we know the agents that let that sit there for six months and like, didn't even make, why. Right. You know. And it would blow my mind that you were the first person actually suggested to paint that room.

Tracy Hayes: Mm-Hmm. , 

Holly Reaves Griggs: you 

Tracy Hayes: know, because of those things. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. 

Tracy Hayes: But this is going on all over the place. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It is. I mean, not everyone has the eye, you know? Yeah. There's a lot of real estate agents that I [01:00:00] guess people say they just open doors or whatever they do. Mm-Hmm. , you know, and I'm sure they all have their own little, you know, unique, uh, thing that why they're in the business and they do well, but, but.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I kind of take it that extra mile with my customers and you know, if I see something that needs to be changed, I'll let them know 

Tracy Hayes: because I mean, the attitude is, I would imagine of a lot of sellers right now is they, they still do have the, like the 2000, 2021, where they're going to put that house up. And that first weekend they have multiple offers, right?

Tracy Hayes: And yeah, if you have the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood on the golf course with the pool, whatever those things in three car garage Yeah, it's going to sell in st. John's county overnight 

Holly Reaves Griggs: in 21. They were like paying your kids college to get the house I have this one property and these people have bought three properties from me bought and sold They referred both their parents after they had kids and they've been great referral for me great customers But they had 48 offers on their home that I listed and[01:01:00] 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So I think, again, that goes back to learning how your customer likes to do business with you and knowing them and what they would appreciate. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, you come in with your, the evaluation. Okay. Great. evaluation, asking the questions, your questionnaire, that type of thing. All of a sudden you build credibility because I, I would guess with that, with being a fly on the wall, that if they spoke to other agents, they're not getting A thorough evaluation like you're doing and now you have them now They're putty because they you've got them to expose all the things.

Tracy Hayes: So when you come back with recommendations It's what you said in your in the questionnaire that this was important to you So this is what you need to do. You need to paint this room, right? Okay 

Holly Reaves Griggs: And then I'm bringing up things I never even thought about with portability, you know, uh, if they're a seller moving to the next property, you need to make sure that their portability [01:02:00] is maximized from the market value.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So no one's doing that. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, one of the key things I got from Cindy Hayden, uh, who was, uh, last year's chair of NARS insurance committee was flooding. You know, flood insurance. That's, that's another thing with portability is people don't realize you can assume someone else's previous flood. flood policy which could save you 

Holly Reaves Griggs: thousands of dollars.

Holly Reaves Griggs: There's certain companies that allow you to do that, but you're right. Totally right. You don't have to go out and get a brand new policy, depending on the company. 

Tracy Hayes: But, uh, the, the new tip now with insurance getting crazy is, uh, get the seller's current policy and you know, what they're covering, you know, that whole, you need to, you need to get those things because there's, there's, you know, these insurance discounts that they don't want to tell you all about them, but they're there.

Tracy Hayes: You have them. They're like, Oh yeah, you got that, you know, type of, um, uh, I mean, then totally lost, uh, wanted to put that tip in there. Cause you, you mentioned that. And, um, yeah, that's a great point. What, uh, what my next question was going to be. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's okay if you don't know it all, you know, and I don't know at all, because like I said, every interaction is different.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Every [01:03:00] transaction is different. I learned something new every day, but after doing this for, you know, eight plus years, I mean, I feel like I've really got a good handle on the everyday items that pop up. 

Tracy Hayes: I know what I wanted to ask you. Because building into that questionnaire, that's where I was going with, because now you've asked them all the questions.

Tracy Hayes: Now you've gained credibility, you're like, oh, this is a professional. Because if you walked in the doctor's office, they're going to do the same thing. They're not just going to hand you a bottle of aspirin and say, hey, thanks for coming in. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: That's right. 

Tracy Hayes: They've got to diagnose the issue. Yes, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: you have to get to know them.

Tracy Hayes: Right. So you're asking those in exposing those things now you've got the credibility So now when you you go you can go ask I think a lot of agents are are bashful Don't want to tell them that or they they're like I said, there's a lot of agents obviously came on in 19 You know in 2000, uh, 2020 21 where they really just stuck the sign in the yard 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right.

Tracy Hayes: And they got offers, so they thought that was great. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. You know. That was easy back then. Yeah. But a lot of those people are getting out of the business because they realize now, you know, it's harder than they thought. And if you're not building relationships in this business, then you're not going to have a business for a while.

Tracy Hayes: I think the, uh, cause I [01:04:00] know, uh, well, I personally know one agent's just like what you're talking about, doing the evaluation and going in and setting, you know, that's your professionalism. When you, Uh, the whole NAR lawsuit is they're saying agents aren't, you know, they're not worth their, uh, what their commissions are is basically the kind of the underlying thing they're saying, although it's totally cash grab, but that's what they're claiming.

Tracy Hayes: Um, they hire you as the listing agent. It's more than just the sign. You got to go in there. Maybe you got to pick some weeds. Maybe you got to paint the room. I've 

Holly Reaves Griggs: done that. Yeah. I've moved. It's trash out of a garage when we closed on a house because they had already gone. That was actually my first listing.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I'm like, you left all this. Yeah. I have to move it now. I mean, we wear so many hats. And you really have to be able to adapt. Again, that kind of goes back to mm-Hmm. Being a chameleon, can you be a therapist? Can you be a, you know, mover, can you be a stager? Can you be a ? You, you're a little bit of everything.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right? Right. Design, 

Tracy Hayes: um, some, you know, sometimes you gotta get in there and, and do some sweat work. Sometimes you, uh, just to get I, because it's, it's not a huge job. It's too small. And by the time somebody you could hire to [01:05:00] get over there Mm-Hmm. , they probably wouldn't do it. Right. Right. You just gotta get in there.

Tracy Hayes: and you show up in your, your dirty clothes and you sweat a little bit to get around. That's where I think a lot of people don't understand. Uh, that, I think it's, it's key, if anyone's listening to this right now, your evaluation and they should call you. What, what do they, I'm sure you've shared this with other people.

Tracy Hayes: What are you asking? If you don't know what to be asking or maybe you do ask a few questions but don't know all the questions that maybe you should be asking some others that should be calling you and asking for that advice. I'd 

Holly Reaves Griggs: be happy to share my, I mean, I hate to call it a secret. But there is, you know, a form that I use and ask, you know, in every call where I engage with a new buyer.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, if I don't know them, like I have one recently that I was referred to me from previous client and I'm helping him now find a house. Um, but yeah. I went through that script with him and he's already referred another customer to me. So it's like that's how it happens. It's a domino effect. But yeah, I'd be happy to share that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: In that script too, there's a lot of verbiage about, you know, you never know who's going [01:06:00] to be a first time homebuyer and they don't really know about the process, but this has a nice process and you know, it's got all the verbiage about, you know, So you're giving them like a little packet almost, uh, there.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So, you know, I've like, um, and we're reaching some of the people, you know, in our program regarding understanding 

Tracy Hayes: what the thing is. Yeah, so you're given because I think 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I have it on me and I usually email it to them if we're doing our Via phone right and then I I say, you know, I let them know a few days ahead of time I send that to them.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I've had some of them fill it out and send it back to me, right? But I'm like, okay, we're still gonna have a conversation and talk about this, 

Tracy Hayes: right? Yeah, cuz you got to get you got to get the in between the lines. [01:07:00] Yes So, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: yeah. So, I've worked 

Tracy Hayes: with my signature person, Terri Brand. And 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I've worked with my Latin, um, um, um, um, um, the thing about her 

Tracy Hayes: is that, and I so much appreciate her being honest with her stories.

Tracy Hayes: You know, it's, you know, it's one of those thing where you're very practical. And you appreciate people who are smart and likeable because you give us, you know, a lot of opportunities to just join in and be the person that we are. And it's a great thing that you've made me feel. you Highly recommending they fill this out.

Tracy Hayes: And obviously you can tell how interested your customer is and how close they are to sell it. They go right in there and fill that out and they're sending it back to you a couple hours later. Uh, I think they're ready to do something. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right. I mean, normally I tell them, Hey, I'm sending you this packet. I just want you to be prepared for our call.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I'm going to ask you the questions on our call and we'll cover anything else in between. So I don't really require them to fill it out. But then you have some, you know, people that are a little bit ahead of the game and they'll just, you know, Send it back to me, all, you know, filled out. But then we do still have a conversation on the phone.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Right? A hundred percent. Yeah. But it lets them know what to expect. I think setting the right expectation is, uh, you know, very important in our industry and any other industry for that 

Tracy Hayes: fact. Well, so I mean, were you doing a buyer's agreement? Before have you are you doing one now? Are you starting? Are they I mean, what's Corey?

Tracy Hayes: What are you guys talking about angle Volkers first coast [01:08:00] as far as the buyers agreement and the you know That it might become a requirement here or something 

Holly Reaves Griggs: But yes, we are going to be required to do them going forward as of July 1st, 

Tracy Hayes: right 

Holly Reaves Griggs: And I don't think that's a problem Well, it hasn't 

Tracy Hayes: technically been settled, but I have a feeling they're gonna mold that in to say that we're doing it Yeah.

Tracy Hayes: In the ethics of the world. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I have no problem, you know, presenting that to buyers, and I've got, you know, a couple now that I've already done that with, and they understand. Well, it's all about how you explain it. With 

Tracy Hayes: your questionnaire, you're molding, you just mold that right into, uh, that, that, uh, morph that right into that packet.

Tracy Hayes: It's, okay, hey, read these. He's got some questions. And then, our buyer's agreement's in the back. You know, and by the time they get to it, because you've asked the questions up front, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Mm 

Tracy Hayes: hmm. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Mm hmm. 

Tracy Hayes: I think 9 out of 10 are not even going to blink. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I agree. Completely agree. And you know what, if they do, then maybe they're not the right buyer for me.

Holly Reaves Griggs: 100%. But you're not a good fit, and that's okay. 

Tracy Hayes: Obviously, I've never bought or sold a home with you. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: I think this evaluation, the [01:09:00] evaluation up front is, is one of your, um, uh, sweet spots and obviously doing it consistently because we know people probably have done it. They didn't get a full reaction out of the person.

Tracy Hayes: I don't want to do that anymore. Yeah, you got to do that with everyone. And I'm sure you've tweaked it over the years. Uh, the questions you're asking, you're getting that information. What during your sales process, what would you say is another big, um, you know, thing that you really focus on that you think is so important in the process that you are putting that little extra energy as you are doing with that evaluation up front?

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, I mean, after the evaluation, and we do the questionnaire, I keep that for my files. You know, typically I'll put it in, I'll scan it and save it in their email files. I try to be as organized as possible, even, you know, with the inbox online and any other systems I use. Uh, but getting them pre qualified, you know, if they're not paying cash, make sure they get pre qualified.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, and then we have a meeting, you know, usually before we start looking for houses, but, uh, a lot of times they just want to jump ahead. Jump right into the house. Don't really know the [01:10:00] process. Right. So, you know. When you let them know, you know, they want to get in the driver's seat and that's fine. But you kind of let them know what, you know, 

Tracy Hayes: do you try to bring them into these fancy angle, vulgar offices to, uh, as, as Corey's designed all over town, looking beautiful.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I know they are great everywhere now. Yeah. No, believe it or not. Most people don't come into the office. Right. Uh, we just don't, you know, we have a lot of phone conversations, um, and then, you know, two, I've met them in person, you know, where I like to pick them up. Yeah. So, depending on, you know, how I've met them or if they were a referral, I tell them, listen, I want you to get in my car, if you're okay with that, and I want to drive around so that you can focus on the community and the neighborhood.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Because if you're in their car and they've got all these sheets, and they're trying to figure out where they're going, and, you know, it's just so much a better experience for them. So, I'm all about the experience, and again, that goes back to luxury is a service. You know, I have waters for them in the car, and I have, you know, all the sheets prepared.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I've got a clipboard they can take into the house. The Uber real 

Tracy Hayes: estate agents? Is that what you call the show? The 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Uber real estate agents? I guess so. I never thought about it [01:11:00] that way. Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, you're 100 percent right. You're, because they're not focused on what turns are, because that's not important right now.

Tracy Hayes: No, it's not. But they're seeing the restaurants where they might be nearby. Yeah. You know, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: they love it when I pick them up and I've got waters for the rest. Sometimes I packed a little cooler when I know we have a long day and I'll have ice in there with waters and like snacks like blueberries or something.

Tracy Hayes: Well, how important, I mean, like you said, you try, it doesn't always happen that way, but it sounds like you focus on having some sort of face to face or I know some agents, you know, uh, you know, good ones, they'll try to at least have a zoom. So you are making, uh, you know, if they've never seen you before, they're, they're getting the, you know, seeing your face and just.

Tracy Hayes: Um, because people, I think, discount why you're told to do video, video, video at every conference you guys go to is because people are building a relationship even though you're looking at a TV screen or your computer screen or phone screen with the person who's talking through it. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: And in most cases, I would say, you know, once you have that face to face conversation with them, especially if you've met in person, [01:12:00] they're going to be committed to you.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But until then, you're just somebody at the other end of the computer screen. It's 

Tracy Hayes: real easy to cut you off. Exactly. Yep. So, and say, I can't meet or don't show up, right? And I can 

Holly Reaves Griggs: gauge their level of commitment. They know that I'm committed. So I think it's taken it that extra step. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Yeah. How do you prep your, um, clients?

Tracy Hayes: Cause I imagine some of these, especially something you started getting these millions, there's the repairs get bigger. Right. Mm-Hmm. , what are you doing in the, in the process? Um, you know, when that, after that inspection's done Mm-Hmm. They imagine some of these 7 million homes, they could probably spend several thousand dollars on their inspection.

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. And so the inspector's gotta give them something. . Yes. How are you handle, how do you handle that? How do you prep them? And then how do you, you know, prep yourself for Mm-Hmm. a negotiation? 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Uh, it depends on the property. And when I say that, like, you know, during Covid Mm-Hmm. , there was no. repair requests.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Like people were accepting properties as is, we have an appraisal, all that, but we're not really in that market right now. So I do prep my sellers and my buyers [01:13:00] to let them know that, Hey, even though we're offering this price, we find any issues. Inspector's going to let us know on the report, and then we're going to talk about it and discuss it and decide if it's something big enough that we need to ask for.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I mean, in most cases, inspectors always are going to find something, right? It's kind of like, that's their job. They all have their opinion and they're all going to find something they think is off the charts. But if it's not a health or a safety hazard, or not, you know, functioning, at all, then maybe we, if it's a toilet flapper, maybe we could, you know, have somebody do that a handy bit.

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's not a big deal. But then, you know, recently I had one that had a little mold issue, and uh, we had a mold remediation company come in, and we got a credit from the seller for 2, 000. So, you know, it really just depends on what the issue is. But with sellers, I let them know, hey, we're going to have a buyer come on board, they're going to have an inspection done, um, and whatever comes back on the inspection, we may have to negotiate.

Holly Reaves Griggs: So I have this upcoming listing where, um, uh, we did a pre inspection, a four point, and we did a pre appraisal too. So it's kind of a, we were guinea pigs for this title company that asked if we would, [01:14:00] you know, do that. And I'm like, heck yeah, we'll do that. This is great. So they checked their portability and I'm like, you know, I normally do that anyway, but somebody else do it.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Well, it's they're adding value to you guys. So 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I think, you know, it's not right for every property, but if you have that unique property, there's always an anomaly out there. Maybe have it pre appraised and see what the value is 

Tracy Hayes: when you are working pre 

Holly Reaves Griggs: inspected, 

Tracy Hayes: when you are working with an existing property.

Tracy Hayes: You know, like I said, it's it's a different buyer when you're in that 1. 5 2 million plus Yeah type situation and like I said that the repairs on those houses are just that much more

Tracy Hayes: When you go out the list, you know like this molding That could have been a big Probably really wasn't that big of an issue. It's Florida You're gonna if you want to find mold in the house, you can somewhere as Austin Gray says it's there somewhere. Yeah Do you try to coach some of those, you know, someone [01:15:00] selling a $2 million house, Hey, we really wanna make sure there's no mm-Hmm, big hiccups.

Tracy Hayes: You know, something in the attic. I, I remember years ago I heard one, there was, uh, I dunno, it was a couple million dollar home. The few that are in Valencia. Mm-Hmm. . Um, and it was one of the original ones. They got up in the attic for the home inspection and found, you know, rodent. over the place and stuff like that.

Tracy Hayes: And, um, uh, obviously it killed sale cause they're like, Oh, you're going to have to have this cleaned out, you know, uh, you know, clean professionally or whatever, that type of thing. And then they walked away from it. Because those were that could have been again, just a couple thousand dollars to have that done.

Tracy Hayes: Uh, it to the buyer It's like oh my god, there's rodent. Okay. Well, welcome to florida. Okay. Yeah. Yeah 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, I definitely think it's good to install Back to property if you think there may be issues. Mm-Hmm. . Or if you're not sure about, you know, maybe you have an investor who's never lived in the property, so they don't really have any information that's good on the property.

Tracy Hayes: Mm-Hmm. . 

Holly Reaves Griggs: [01:16:00] But a lot of investors don't really wanna know information on the property. So, you know, have these sellers disclosures at the state. Never lived in the property, not disclosing anything. So then it's kind of, you know, buyer beware. Just have to do your own due diligence. Mm-Hmm. . But if you've got a legitimate seller who's lived in the property.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Maybe they don't know this. Don't know that. Maybe there's an issue. I think bringing someone in ahead of time is good and facing the problem up front before it becomes one. Because I'm 

Tracy Hayes: sure you've dealt with, um, other visions have had it happen to them, depending on how many deals they do. It's happened where because people were chasing after properties in 20 and 21, they were grabbing a property that they just Defaulted to oh, yeah, they get under contract and all of a sudden two weeks later.

Tracy Hayes: They've got a house over here that oh, no That's the one I really want. So they go on the inspection report and said hey the light thing is upside down Okay, I don't want to buy the home. Yeah But they There's always something on the report in the obviously, you know, the appraisals weren't really an issue, but on the inspection report, there's, oh, it doesn't matter what it [01:17:00] is.

Tracy Hayes: They just say, I don't like that. I don't want to buy the home. Right. And so they were using that, obviously, to get out and go buy, you know, go make an offer over here. Meanwhile, the seller just took their house off the market for the last two weeks, and now you're putting it back on. And what do you agents do?

Tracy Hayes: Go, oh, I wonder why this house is back on the market. Yep. I'm always following the agent. Must be something wrong with it. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: What happened? Why'd it go back on the market? Right. You know, and we want that back soon. story and so do the buyers. They look, they look at 

Tracy Hayes: Zillow. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It's so funny because I never look at Zillow.

Holly Reaves Griggs: I should probably look at it more because that's where everybody else looks. But, you know. You see where 

Tracy Hayes: they're getting their information. I know. Cut it off 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Zillow, that it came back on the market or they sold it in, whatever year for this much. So, people are looking at that stuff. Um, but I think based in those kind of things head on and how you manage it to when it's presented to you.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Like if you get a, like the mold, you know, report that we got back, knowing that the seller wasn't really there in the property very much, like maybe a couple of times in the past five years. And the inspector found, you know, surface molds. It wasn't a really a big deal. It could have been a bigger deal. I never know till you start, you know, tearing apart [01:18:00] stuff.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But, um, you know, but having a good inspection company on your side to define those kind of things. And then how you presented, you know, talk to the buyer. I'm 

Tracy Hayes: a big pre listing inspection person just because I've been in the business long enough that that's their excuse out. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: So 

Tracy Hayes: if I can kill all their excuses, as soon as that contract sign, cause I know so how many, how, You know, much you work just to get the contracts on 

Holly Reaves Griggs: and another valid point about that too.

Holly Reaves Griggs: If you have it pre inspected, you can hire a handyman or do the repair yourself. But once you get the property under contract, you've got a buyer on board and they have a lender. And depending on the type of financing, you have to hire licensed professionals to do things that like would require electricity or roof or plumbing.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And if you've got a cousin who does plumbing, then you could have him come in and do it 

Tracy Hayes: or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: It could save them a little, you know, cash in the front if they, you know, do the pre inspection 

Tracy Hayes: over your years. I'm going to wind down here. We'll try to go through these quick.

Tracy Hayes: Um, [01:19:00] someone is support. Maybe it was a broker like Corey or a mentor.

Tracy Hayes: Holly just did it by herself. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: No, I mean, everyone. Well, Have you 

Tracy Hayes: read? Well, let's change the question. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Cory is a fantastic broker. I mean, obviously, we have 140 people right now, and I think I am a pretty, um, self motivated kind of man. You know, I am able to do most every now and then, you know, I have questions for him. There's always something new that comes up, some curveball. Like the support that he provides, you know, for us as a whole, as a team, you know, through the webinars and the, uh, you know, agent, um, the things that we do once a month is fantastic.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And that's something I've never had at a brokerage, but maybe you 

Tracy Hayes: didn't have a direct mentor, but I mean, the fact that, you know, you've been at Ingle Vulgar's now for over five years, uh, the level of, [01:20:00] other agents, you know, you, you guys are, uh, wouldn't say you're all on the same level, but you're on a high level, um, to be able, you know, there's a lot of them that have been doing in, been in the area as long as you have, some of them been in the area doing business as long as you've been in the area, you know, uh, type of thing and to be able to call on them and how, how important is that?

Tracy Hayes: That kind of have those, uh, you know, we always talk about the, the five people that you surround yourself with while in real estate to have, you know, five or six, You know, these people you know or experience and when you call them and say, I have this situation, they're going to tell you, you know what, I've never dealt with that, but I think so and so has, or they're going to be able to say, yep, I've dealt with this and this is how he did it.

Holly Reaves Griggs: And you have faith 

Tracy Hayes: in them that they're giving you the, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: absolutely. I mean, we have a great, uh, support team and it's like a family, our brokerage. If I had a question, you know, I've got a commercial property coming up, I've never sold a commercial property, but you know what, I'm up for the challenge and these people want me to list, um, actually family members.

Holly Reaves Griggs: But, uh, you know, I had to reach out to another agent who's the little commercial in our, [01:21:00] our, um Yeah. And she gave me great advice, you know, and, uh, it wasn't anything I didn't already knew, but just to be able to reach out, you know, and talk on the phone with somebody is to get that support when you need it.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Now I will plug my husband because he is fantastic. He should get his, uh, real estate license, but anyway, you know, he's kind of my support too. And if he does 

Tracy Hayes: some backs back end research for you, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I bounce things off of him and he was, he owned his own, uh, CPA firm, the Griggs group. I don't know if you're familiar with that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: sold to another company, the pivot, but you know, he's got a lot of managerial experience and work with people and you know, and that high level. So, 

Tracy Hayes: yeah. Well, some of those high level clients you're talking about, you have to talk financials with them because some of them are buying investment properties and it's not an emotional like this is going to be where I'm going to live.

Tracy Hayes: Is this, is this property? How, how am I going to work the numbers, the tech, you know, the taxes and all that stuff. Um, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. kind of circle the two questions we talked about, brokerages and then people always asking you about real estate. How important is it for them to go out and [01:22:00] find that brokerage that, uh, ideally the office, but just, um, and maybe, maybe you are at a different brokerages.

Tracy Hayes: I know some people are at different brokerages and they have their circle of people who are at different brokerages, um, to find those people, to reach out and have coffee with them and interact with them and collaborate with them and, you know, talk shop. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I've actually had two people reach out.

Holly Reaves Griggs: One, uh, at my brokerage and one was not at my brokerage, but reached out and asked me to do coffee with them. And I think people see you online and they see your success. And you know, I'm always willing to do that. If anyone out there, you know, wants to have coffee, please let me know. Uh, I did it this week and I did it last week.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, Happy to, when time allows, you know, put it on the schedule. What 

Tracy Hayes: is, what is some of the information that they, that they're asking you? What, that these agents are obviously trying to reach out, they're trying to find a lane or whatever it is, or someone that's hopefully going to help them make the next step if they want to make it, wherever they're trying, what are some of the questions they're asking you?

Holly Reaves Griggs: I think for the most part, like the one that was not at our current brokerage, um, you know, wanting to get into more of the [01:23:00] luxury market, maybe do some of the design like I do. But, you know, I think, um, it's a special niche. I mean, I'm not saying no one can do it. Obviously anyone can do anything. You kind of have 

Tracy Hayes: to have the eye for it, right?

Tracy Hayes: It's, it's, uh, wherever that comes from. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: But, uh, you know, basically about how to get into the kind of market and niche that I'm doing. Um, another agent, you know, asked about Boomtown. She had heard, you know, I'd sold like 20 million from Boomtown leads and that's probably only from a handful of them, five Boomtown leads that led to other sales.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, but, uh, yeah, I think for the most part, you know, what I'm doing to be successful in different aspects. 

Tracy Hayes: If you don't have the eye Necessarily don't feel you have the eye. Maybe you have it, but don't even realize you haven't and you know, you're you're challenging What your mind is telling you to tell them Would you invest in Pay someone 50 to come over for an hour To walk the house with you and give [01:24:00] you a couple design ideas or you know These stagers really would you agree some of these stagers?

Tracy Hayes: That's their You That's their jam is to, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: is to 

Tracy Hayes: look at a house and give you, yeah, this room should be painted. We need to stage this one, but we don't have to stage that one. Save them some money over here. Whatever it is. Yeah. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: I think it's mainly, you know, hiring professionals to help you. You know, I've turned down design work.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Um, I've had people reach out to me and see my post online and saying, Hey, I love what you did with that. That's like my style. Would you help? You know, my customer, I have agents reach out to me, their customers want to meet to design their properties. But, you know, I don't, you know, I don't really do design like that.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You're not in that consulting world yet. The next business, I don't know that I ever will be. I think I like the way it is right now. It's kind of a mixture of, so I designed my own personal projects and I also designed for my investors, but I like doing it for my investors because, you know, at the end of it, I'm going to list that property and I know everything about it and there's no one better to sell that property than me when I've been involved from the beginning.

Tracy Hayes: But 

Holly Reaves Griggs: yeah, 

Tracy Hayes: uh, having a good [01:25:00] stager is, is so vitally important. I think people are underestimating. Even, even with some of these properties that are, you know, like I said, the three car garage on the golf course with a pool, easy one to sell, but you can, you can get the multiple offers and go over and really blow your seller out by maybe taking a few minutes to stage it.

Tracy Hayes: I agree. A little sweat. I agree. There's some 

Holly Reaves Griggs: really good ones out there. 

Tracy Hayes: I'm going to finish with this and then you can add anything you want. I don't feel there's any stories you didn't tell or any questions you thought I was going to ask. Um, the market's changed in the last, 24 months. Um, they kept saying, Hey, rates are going to drop.

Tracy Hayes: Rates are going to drop. We're going to have, you know, I, I, I laugh at this one person in the mortgage world who a lot of people pay money to get his information and said rates were going to drop last summer. Uh, we haven't got anywhere close to that. And now all of a sudden they're like, Oh yeah, it was a Fannie Mae came out and said, yeah, we might see 6 percent somewhere around the end of 25 now.

Tracy Hayes: And every day I turn on Bloomberg are they gonna cut rates they're gonna cut rates [01:26:00] No, they're not because the information is yeah, you know, there's true information squeaking through the cracks and they're finding this stuff out So the markets have changed Based on your experience, you know prior to 20, you know 2016 to 20 and now what you're you know, you've seen this kind of teeter totter You know, to this other side now, what if you were, if you had a team of agents right now, as, as Corey does, what would you be telling, what should they be doing right now, uh, you know, in their business, whether it's a daily thing or monthly thing, just a ritual they need to be doing, um, to make sure they survive to next month, but also, you know, when things do turn, and I'm sorry, that's on a timer, I'm going to let you answer and I'm going to go do that.

Tracy Hayes: Um, you know, what should, what should they be doing right now with their business? Okay. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Well, Gus, you, you kind of touched on rates there, and, you know, I agree with you because I heard, I mean, we all heard that rates were going to, you know, cut maybe four times this year, and they haven't cut a single time.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You know, I follow, uh, I don't know if you know, I forgot his name, but [01:27:00] he runs the Market Distillery, and he puts out some great analytics, and I'm trying to follow him and get in his next group coming up this summer, but, you know, he mentioned that for the last eight election years, rates have decreased.

Holly Reaves Griggs: For eight election years except this year. Yeah, why isn't it happening? We don't know but I have my opinions

Holly Reaves Griggs: Definitely I think stalled a little bit of the market, you know, we're I wouldn't say it's a buyer's market We're certainly it's not in a seller's market Uh, you can sell this market, although there are still multiple offers happening on the right properties. But, I think it's getting a little bit more balanced.

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. And, but the prices are not coming down. You know, you'll see price reductions. There's demand's too high for that, yeah. Especially, we're still in an inventory shortage. Mm hmm. especially at the beach. Um, so I think that, you know, for agents, uh, other realtors out there and what they could be doing is know your market and whether you, you know, or follow them in the market distillery and they put out some great analytics.

Holly Reaves Griggs: You know, we have great resources, uh, from our MLS as well. And NIFAR, um, you can do [01:28:00] stats. It's called sun stats, I think. And Corey always says that. puts these out to our people. But, uh, you can do a search based on your particular zip codes that you cover and see what is the average, you know, sales price.

Holly Reaves Griggs: What, how many buyers are cash? How many are financing? Did you know that last year 53. 6 percent of condo buyers were cash at the beach? 

Tracy Hayes: Yeah, 

Holly Reaves Griggs: that's amazing. Well, 

Tracy Hayes: there was this article came out a couple of weeks ago, 55, 54 and some change in Jacksonville are cash. In, in all the sales, it's the highest in the nation.

Tracy Hayes: Right. Actually, there are some other Florida places that are high in the forties, but not fifty five percent. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: And they're not affected by the interest rates. Exactly. So we're still seeing our prices increase, and that's a big part of it, I think, because we have a lot of cash buyers out there. 

Tracy Hayes: Anything you'd like to add?

Holly Reaves Griggs: Yeah. It's been great being here. I appreciate you coming on. I enjoyed the 

Tracy Hayes: conversation. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: Never told my story and uh, I appreciate you allowing me to do that today. It's now, 

Tracy Hayes: it's going to be memorialized out there in, in the internet on, on audio as well as the uh, YouTube channel. So. 

Holly Reaves Griggs: All right. 

Tracy Hayes: Holly, I appreciate you coming on.