Mike Rolewicz: Basics, Perform At A High Level and Consistency

Corporate America can offer many safe and decent-paying jobs for those who have the skills to maintain them. However, these jobs are not for entrepreneurial spirits like Mike Rolewicz, and they might not be for you, either. Mike went through the early years of his career working on a well-paying office job that didn’t demand a great deal of effort from him. However, seeing the financial independence and freedom that a highly successful friend of his had achieved at a young age inspired him to take a leap of faith into real estate and begin carrying business on his own.

Today, Mike is a top 2% nationwide real estate producer and one of the most successful agents brokered by eXp Realty, where he founded the 904 Home Guide Team. His risk-taking mentality, coupled with an iron discipline, allowed him to remain consistent in the highly competitive field of real estate led to tremendous success. He’s here at the Real Estate Excellence podcast to share his story and the secrets behind his work.

Tune in to learn how this highly determined entrepreneur went from corporate America to real estate excellence!

[00:00 - 07:07] Mike Rolewicz: From Corporate America to Real Estate Excellence

• Mike Rolewicz transitioned from a career in corporate America to real estate in 2018.

• His team sold 66 homes for over 45 million dollars in sales, including one sale for 12 million.

• Mike donated over $20,000 to Angel Wood Jacksonville, the Foster Closet, American Heart Association, and the Human Collective.

• Prior to his corporate career, Mike had an entrepreneurial spirit and started a staffing company in 1995.

• Mike's vision when entering Penn State was to pursue a career in business/finance.

• He learned that relationships are key to success in any business.

[07:08 - 14:11] A Risk-Taking Mentality Leads to a Successful Real Estate Career

• A friend of Mike’s called Dave owned a staffing company and helped him build a couple of databases.

• Dave moved to Jacksonville and started a staffing company.

• He officiated basketball, baseball, softball, and football.

• Dave’s career inspired Mike to leave his corporate job to become an entrepreneur.

• Mike’s wife trusted him to be the provider for their family and supported his decision.

• Mike’s only regret is not having gotten into real estate sooner.

[14:11 - 21:33] How One Agent Achieved Success in His First 12 Months

• MIke investigated different brokerages and chose one with good training, name recognition, and value for the agent.

• He joined Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and was trained well.

• Switched to eXp in mid-2018 to have a more team-friendly environment.

• Having surrounded himself with successful people in eXp was an important step in his real estate journey.

• You only need to take advice from people who have been where you want to be.

• Afterward, Mike started a local mastermind group to help agents from all different brokerages.

[21:34 - 29:37] The Secret to Real Estate Success: High Standards and Consistency

• Mike had to relearn a schedule and become the business after selling his staffing company.

• He disciplined himself and focused on building relationships and getting in front of people.

• He fell for a couple of shiny objects but kept his focus on the goal.

• He recommends that agents find a great team with mentorship, deal flow, and leverage.

• Basics performed to a high standard consistently are the key to success.

• Consistency is the foundation of everything you wish to achieve.

• The pain of regret is worse than the pain of discipline.

[29:37 - 36:57] Creating Conversations, Showing Proof of Competence and Studying the Market

• Conversations are your currency.

• Do not be a secret agent.

• Study and learn about the market.

• Get educated and take advantage of local board classes.

• Show up and participate in events.

• Create videos to showcase neighborhoods.

• Consistently send out market reports.

• Utilize YouTube as a library.

[36:57 - 44:16] Use Videos to Introduce Your Team and Future Pace Clients for Success

• Relationships over transactions is a core value of Mike’s company.

• Creating content that educates, informs, and entertains is a great way to build relationships.

• Social media is a great way to be part of the community.

• Top producing mortgage loan officers and real estate agents set themselves up in the same way.

• Hire people with the right personality fit for roles.

[44:16 - 51:10] A Real Estate Agent's Unique Questions to Help Clients Find Their Dream Home

• Use video to communicate with buyers and sellers.

• Send automated emails throughout the home-buying process.

• Have a price adjustment plan in place.

• Videos are a useful tool to keep your clients up-to-date on your work and keep constant communication.

• Communicate regularly and share feedback on showings and market conditions.

• When there are problems and disagreements, the best solution is to lead with empathy.

• Ask unique, thoughtful questions to get into the client's mindset.

[51:10 - 58:47] Navigating the Real Estate Market During Economic Fluctuations

• Millennial generations have a different set of priorities from previous ones, which are less focused on professional development, which changes the economic landscape.

• Navigating the real estate market during economic fluctuations and maintaining success is largely about playing the long game and adjusting expectations.

• Focusing on activities, not outcomes.

• Adopt a servant-heart mentality to build relationships with clients.

• Provide support and training to help the team reach its full potential.

[58:47 - 1:06:13] Agent Crushing it with Tools and Tech Stack

• Provide tools and tech stack to agents to allow them to perform their best. 

• Focus on the military aspect, meaning discipline and consistency.

• There are no easy transactions in real estate, though iBuyer properties and high-price sales tend to be challenging.

• Challenging transactions include roof age, water heater age, and iBuyer properties.

• Electric panels and insurance can also be challenging.

[1:06:13 - 1:13:15] The Reality of Developing a Successful Team Culture in Real Estate

• Building into the price or putting a new roof on prior to closing can save buyers money on insurance.

• Mike's approach to developing a successful team culture is to hire based on culture over production and incentivize agents to self-develop their business.

• When hiring, Mike looks for an agent's motivation and purpose and asks questions to find out what they are willing to endure in order to succeed.

• Real estate is a sales business, not HGTV or Selling Sunset, so your content should be focused on converting.

[1:13:15 - 1:20:20] How to Maximize Your Real Estate Market Share in a Down Market

• Real estate is a relationship business and will always be so.

• Currently, there is a lawsuit that suggests buyer's agent compensation should not come from the seller anymore.

• These types of future jurisprudence and legislation should always be kept in mind to stay ahead.

• Agents need to have a value proposition for buyers that explains their value in the transaction.

• To stay ahead of the curve, agents should focus on basics such as performance and consistency.

• Maximize opportunities in the market by gaining market share as other agents drop out.

• Pace ahead in this down market by sticking to basics and focusing on what you are best at.

[1:20:20 - 1:27:41] A Reflection on the Journey Through Cancer Diagnosis and Business Growth

• It is more important who you know than what you know, as people need to know how much you care.

• When going through difficult times, remember that there is likely something better on the other side.

• Solo agents often get bogged down in deal doctoring and forget to stay in conversation with leads.

• Consider hiring a transaction coordinator sooner rather than later to increase time leverage and productivity.

• Selling agents should question why they are attending inspections and if it is necessary for them to be there.

[1:27:41 - 1:28:43] Develop Others and Transfer Skills

• God wants us to be loving and help others.

• Make a good living doing something you enjoy.

• Developing others and transferring skills.

• Leave a review and check out the YouTube channel.

• Join the Real Estate Excellence community at tracyhayespodcast.com.

Quotes: 

"It's all relationships. Period. That's it. It's building relationships, listening, and understanding the context before presenting solutions." -Mike Rolewicz

"I took a burn-the-boat mentality, which has always been my approach. I do not once make a decision where there is a plan B.” -Mike Rolewicz

"Basics performed to a high standard consistently. That's it. That's the game." -Mike Rolewicz

"Information will never change anyone. It’s not so much about presenting the information but about how you present it. In the end, the heart decides, and the mind justifies.” -Mike Rolewicz

"We're not chasing transactions, conversations, or currency. We're building relationships. A great way to do that is by having content that educates, informs, and if it entertains hey even better." -Mike Rolewicz

Learn more about Mike’s business and make contact with him:

https://www.904homeguide.com

https://www.instagram.com/904homeguide/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-rolewicz-b37135b

https://www.facebook.com/904homeguide

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