New Laws, New You: How Buyer’s Agents Can Use LinkedIn and PR to Lead in the Market

GGGR 288 – Final
Mon, Sep 09, 2024 11:54AM 22:20
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
linkedin, talking, buyer, real estate agent, agent, podcast, expert, high ticket offer, laws, pr, people,
linkedin profile, create, opportunity, bit, position, credibility, listen, workshop, build
SPEAKERS
Karen Yankovich
00:00
Karen,
00:10
hello and welcome to the good girls get rich podcast. I’m your host, Karen yankovich, and today’s
topic is an interesting one for me, and one that I really wanted to talk about because it’s a little it’s a
little niche. It’s really focusing on our real estate agent friends here. But if you know real estate agent,
or if you are interested in how to position yourself as an expert, you’re going to want to hear this
either way. You know if you’re a real estate agent or if you’re not here in the US, you’ve probably
heard about the massive shift that’s happened in the real estate market, with the need now to create
a contract for buyers agents. And you know, no longer can you just kind of walk into an open house
and and, you know, anonymously and walk out. You really have to make a choice now the when,
when you’re when you’re looking to, maybe just when you’re looking to buy a house, or even if you’re
just considering buying house, you now have to sign a contract with a buyer’s agent. And I want to
just say I, if that’s not exactly true, just know I’m not an expert in the law itself. Okay? This is not
about the law itself. This is not about any of that, right? You You follow what your broker does. Follow
what you’re you’re being advised by your industry experts on this. What I’m here to tell you is you’re
in another position for people to choose you. Now, this isn’t new to you, right? Because you’ve had to
be when you’re a listing agent. People choose you for that, and you sign a contract for that. But now
you also need to be positioned, and you also need to show up as an expert, as an expert buyer’s
agent, right? Which is something that you haven’t really had to do before. It’s game changing. It’s
game changing. And, you know, it is. It’s shaking up the industry. And at the time that I’m recording
this, it’s a little bit like the Wild Wild West, but, but here’s the deal. This is an opportunity. This is an
opportunity for you, if you position yourself correctly now, these changes can actually help you grow
your business in ways that you never imagined. Because, you know, if people are looking to sell their
house, they’re probably established in a town. They know a lot of the real estate agents in the town,
and maybe they know you right, but if they’re living to buy a house in a town that they don’t currently
live in, they need to. They can’t really kind of shop around for a buyer’s agent anymore, right? You
need to kind of grab them out of the gate. And that comes from your personal brand, and that, my
friends, is something I am qualified to talk to you about, and that’s what we’re going to be talking to
you about here today. So in this episode, we’re going to talk a little bit. Why about I just want to make
sure I don’t miss any my notes because I, because I’ve got a lot of notes on this one today, we want
to talk about, I talk about why now is the time to do this. Why now is the time to do this? It’s not just
about LinkedIn and your LinkedIn profile, but the PR piece that we talk about on the show a lot. You
need to do this so that you’re you are building your authority so you can get that buyer’s business
right. So while everybody else is kind of scrambling to figure out what to do. You need to be investing
in your personal brand and the brand of a buyer’s agent right now. It doesn’t mean you’re not still
doing listings right. It just means that you have to think about this right now. So we’ll talk a little bit
about why LinkedIn is the most powerful platform for you to do this. You real estate agents, you guys,
honestly, I love you all, but I know if I asked 10 of you, like, How valuable is your database to your
business? Every single one of you is going to say, oh, it’s hugely valuable. Well, LinkedIn is where you
build your database, right? And not enough of you are using LinkedIn. So I’m here to change that. I’m
here to change that. So we’re going to talk a little bit about LinkedIn, but we’re also going to be
talking about PR, and how PR can help cement your position as the go to expert during these like Wild
Wild West shifting times. You know, you might be feeling a little bit overwhelmed by all of this,
especially with the restrictions and but, you know, I think I mentioned this before, when there’s
change, there’s opportunity. These new laws are pushing you to evolve, and that evolution means
you need to shift from just being an agent, a listing agent or a buyer’s agent, to being a trusted
advisor and a thought leader. You’re no longer just like a middle person that helps somebody buy a
home, right? You’re you’re somebody that understands this landscape better than anyone else and
can guide your clients through the complexities of this new market. That’s where this comes in. This
is it’s pushing agents to think outside the box, to think a little bit differently and to rely a little bit less
on the old methods of doing business, like relying solely on your database right and building new
credible ways to market yourself as a high value buyers, consultant or agent, right? So we’re going to
talk a little bit about how to do that. And, you know, here’s the here’s the first thing that plays that
this is important. This is being recorded. It is September 2024 the laws have been effect for a couple
of weeks. I have talked to a. Couple people about this, not in the industry, you know, I’m somebody in
my family that is purchasing a house or looking to purchase a house, and they had no idea this was
happening. They said, well, they just go to open houses when they see a house they want, like, Yeah,
but that they now have to change this. They had now have to choose a buyer’s agent so that they are
represented. And they have to, you know, and how that buyer’s agent gets paid. Again, don’t quote
on me, on the, you know, on how, what the law actually means. But it’s changed, and they need to
understand this. They said the answer to them, to me, the question to me, from them was, how are
we supposed to know this? I don’t know, right? Like, so, yeah, if you’re currently working with a real
estate agent, or if you’re a real estate agent currently working with people you’re, I’m sure, telling
them, but there are many, many millions of people in the United States that do not know this even
went down right? So you need to be out there and visible and talking about this. And if you’re the one
out there talking about this there, you’re going to be the one that gets trusted with that credibility
and that that’s how you’re going to attract some of this business in your neck of the woods. Okay, so,
you know, the first thing we’re talking about a little bit is, is, is LinkedIn? Okay, well, let me talk a little
bit about LinkedIn and PR, why that this is important to you. The LinkedIn piece of this is so that you
establish yourself, right? So let’s say somebody comes across you, or somebody goes and searches
for, you, know, real estate agent in a particular town or community or whatever you want, to make
sure your profile is is created in a way that those words are being used over and over and over, so
that you are getting the key that’s their keywords for you. So when people put that those words in the
search engine, your profile comes up. And even if I just put it in Google, it still can bring up your
LinkedIn profile if you put those words in the right place. Okay, so it isn’t just about having a pretty
profile, it’s about having a pretty profile. And behind that pretty profile, and behind that profile that
positioned you as an influencer, you have the strategies of knowing exactly where to put those
keywords, because people are now going to be searching for this. Okay, so you want to show up
confidently. You want to show up with personality, and you want to show up with authority, because
the PR piece of this is where I think you need to focus right now, the visibility around this, pitching
local media, pitching national media, talking about on a podcast, talking about it, you know, in
newspapers and magazines, talking about it in your community, going to your community library, maybe, and talking about this, and showing up as an expert, because what’s going to happen? Then
you’re going to hand them your business card, right? And hopefully your business card will have your
URL on there, but it should also have what your website, right? But it should also have your LinkedIn,
your LinkedIn URL there, because that’s where you can stand out from the crowd. Everybody’s got a
pretty website, right? All your competitors have a website, whether it’s with their broker, on their
own, what? However, I know it’s done a bunch of different ways. Where you need to stand out is
you’re showing up as the expert. So on your LinkedIn profile, you can also position yourself as a
speaker, an expert speaker, and the topic of, you know, of buyer’s agents, okay? You can be doing
that today. You should be doing that today, and pitching yourself to again all the places I mentioned
earlier that, because when people hear you about that, and see you about that, and then, and then
they go to look you up. Now they’re going to see your LinkedIn profile, and this is where they come
together. The LinkedIn profile is how they’re going to connect with you. They’re going to see not only
are you real estate agent, but you’re an expert in this new, changed market. Okay? This is how you
get into the right conversations around this, whether it’s on social media, in the local news or national
publications. You need to show up as an expert on these new laws, and LinkedIn and PR gives you the
platform to share that expertise out with the world. Okay, so let’s talk a little bit about a couple of
LinkedIn techniques here. First thing you need to think about is your headline, and I would absolutely
change your headline today to reflect this new real estate landscape. Don’t just say you’re a real
estate agent, right? Say something like you’re a buyer’s consultant specializing in navigating the new
real estate laws. Right? This not only positions you as an expert, but also shows that you’re on top of
the current industry shifts and that you’re paying attention, right? You’re they, they are. They can be
confident that they are comfortable, um, investing in you and signing a contract with you, which is
what we want, right? You want to have consistent content out there that educates about this. Start
posting content that helps your network understand the impact of these new laws. I can’t tell you
enough how important it is that you’re out there talking about these laws, because it’s not the clients
you have that you need to reach. It’s the people that have no idea this is happening, and then I’m
hearing horror stories, like they’re signing contracts for a year with people they don’t even really
know because they didn’t know that’s what they were doing, right? You need to be out there talking
about this so that people are number one, not getting, you know, not getting themselves in situations
that they didn’t even realize. They were getting themselves into. But number two, they can
confidently sign those contracts with you, and that comes down to articles or posts, right? Yes, we
want to have that visibility. But the know, like and trust comes from the content, right? Like, you
know, if people hear about me somewhere, right, they’re going to listen, you know, hopefully they’re
going to be somebody will say, Oh, you need to reach out to Karen yankovich About your LinkedIn
strategy. She really is great at helping women create wealth, building these things. But that’s all well
and good. But when they go to my podcast and then listen to a couple of episodes, that’s where they
then get the sense of, okay, this woman really does know what she’s talking about you. I have to give
that to them. You have to give that to them. And that comes down to the kinds of content you’re
putting out there, I’d be connecting with key referral partners. Offer to do workshops for all of the you
know, mortgage brokers, financial planners, attorneys, other professionals that can refer you clients.
Put this workshop together right now, even if you need to go into chat, GPT and sit, bend in at two
hours in there, saying, help me create craft, an educational workshop for for around buyers, agents,
for my partners, and then, because you need to make sure that your network understands that you
are the expert on how to navigate this new world, right this is your opportunity, right here, right now.
Okay, engage with other people’s content. Spend some time on LinkedIn. Look up who’s talking about
these things right now and jump into those conversations. I can tell you that when people say, what
one thing should I be doing on LinkedIn, if I have 10 minutes a day, it isn’t posting as much as it is
jumping into other people’s conversations. Because not only does your network see that, their
networks see that, right and it gets you in front of, gets you more visibility, gets you in front of not
only your network, but their network. But their network. But it also gets you again, it’s just, it’s
contributing to your, your role as an authority in this world. And then I’d be writing LinkedIn articles
about this, right? Your, your entire network, gets an opportunity to see your LinkedIn articles. Right?
Create a LinkedIn newsletter, maybe specifically about this. You want to be putting consistent content
out there, and you want to show up like you’re worthy of this, and you you can talk about this in some
videos. Maybe create a video about this and put it in your featured section on LinkedIn. Right. You’re
the opportunity to be this expert is now. Okay, it’s now. So let’s talk about why do I think PR is
important too? Well, you know, with these new laws, the media should be all over the story. I have to
tell you, I haven’t seen a lot about it, so I’m surprised a little bit about that, and maybe it’s because
September 2024, there’s a lot of other things happening in the world right now, but I think that you
you want to this is your chance to be that expert, and I would be building relationships and reaching
out to everyone that talks about real estate, and frankly, everybody that talks about even consumers
and housing industry and any, any of those kinds of things, because they need experts. The media
needs us more than we need them. When you get quoted in newspapers and magazines on these
kinds of things, this PR gives you credibility in a way that nothing else does, right? I mean, you can,
you know, I know that you I love, I love when you have great testimonials on these as a as your work
with your work as a realtor, right? But again, we don’t really know if it’s your sister right, or your uncle
or whatever right, being quoted in a local or national publication, instantly makes you the go to
authority here. Okay, so quickly you, first of all, you need the LinkedIn profile gives you the credibility
to show that you’re worthy of this. Because one thing that journalists that, yes, they want us and they
need us, they’re also wary of us, right? They need to know that they’re not bringing crazy people in
front of their audience, right? So you need to use your LinkedIn profile and some of your content to be
very to make it very clear what your position is on on this, this market, and how you show up, so that
they can feel confident that they’re putting smart, successful people that align with their values in
front of their audience. And you can start pitching yourself to local media. There’s so many ways to do
this, and I’m going to talk a little bit more about about that when we wrap this up a little bit. But you
can use your LinkedIn posts and articles as proof that you’re already talking about this, right, and
what valuable insights you have to share, right? Think about like, what podcasts are your are your
audience listening to? It doesn’t have to be a real estate podcast, per se, it could be a local news
podcast. You know, what you need to be doing is connecting with those, the hosts of those shows,
and then, you know, maybe listening to a show to make sure they actually accept guests, and then
say, hey, you know what? I haven’t seen you talk about this yet, and I think this is something that
your audience is really going to want to hear about, because I can’t believe how many people don’t
even know this happened in the last couple of weeks, right? So you know, being a guest on local or
industry podcasts talking about these new laws puts you in front of that highly targeted audience
that’s interested in your expertise. And again, you’re not looking for every single listener, but they’re
going to say, Wow, everybody knows somebody that’s buying or selling. House, right? So they’re
going to hear you they’re going to hear this podcast, even if they’re not looking they’re going to say,
you know, I heard this person on the, you know, on the show the other day. And did you know, like
when I called my sister about my niece? And again, did you know that this law and she’s like, I had no
idea. How was I supposed to know that? Right? This is happening everywhere. So you’ve got to be out
in front of this and be in front of your audience, showing up as that thought leader, okay, so that you
can get these opportunities. Because I’m telling you the business opportunities here, you know you
can, can you see them? Can you see them? I can see them. I can see how when you show up as that
trusted authority, it can explode your business. It can explode your business, all right, so hopefully
I’ve, I’ve at least inspired you to think about LinkedIn, using LinkedIn and PR around the new laws. So
you want to create in the next couple months, you want to create a LinkedIn content plan. You want
to create an outreach plan for the media. You want to do research. Who should I be doing outreach
to? Who should I be talking to? You want to maybe create a workshop and then use LinkedIn,
because, again, that’s where you have credibility, right? You can email, text, do all those things, to
the local libraries and things like that, but you don’t when you’re doing it from your LinkedIn profile,
you’re doing with the credibility of your LinkedIn profile, which which gives them so much more
confidence that you’re worthy of putting in front of their people. So create a webinar or a workshop
and put it in front of the all your local audiences. Where are the you don’t need to get in front of the
real estate audiences. You need to get in front of the other audiences, people that don’t even know
this is happening, because I promise you, they all know somebody that’s going to be buying a house. Maybe this is a little bit the long game, right? But there’s definitely a short game here too, and then
collaborate with other experts, right? Teaming up with mortgage brokers and financial planners, title
companies, all those kinds of things. Maybe interview them. Maybe do LinkedIn lives and interview
them, right? There’s this is, this is how you start to show up as this expert. Of course, it is important
that you’ve done the work on your profile. It’s important that you’re starting to build your PR
presence, and it’s it’s important that you’re consistent with this. Because, you know, one of the
things, like a lot of the people that I work with, and this may or may not apply to you, but a lot of the
one of the things that is often the case with a lot of people I work with is they’re in some kind of
transition, right? Maybe they were in corporate and they’re moving to become a real estate agent, or
they’re in corporate and they’re in corporate and they’re becoming a consultant, or, you know that
maybe they’re just looking to level up in their income. They may never have used the title consultant
before. You probably have never used the title buyer’s agent before, right? So you might not have a
lot of testimonials about that, because you might not have been, you certainly haven’t been doing
this yet, right? So what the publicity does, what the PR does, is it gives you that credibility. I can
confidently say to you right now, throw my name in a Google search. You know, 10 pages of Karen
yankovich articles are going to come up. That’s what I want for you. And that happens when you that
happens when you put this PR plan in place. Okay, that’s when this happens for you. That’s when
you’re able to use that as credibility, because you don’t have those actual testimonials around this
yet. That makes sense. So while these new laws might feel like a little bit of a disruption, they are
your opportunity. They’re your opportunity to redefine your role as a real estate agent. And you know,
I’ve had conversations with a bunch of real estate agents about this. Because for me, I’m like, This is
it? This is your high ticket offer. Because if you’ve heard if you’ve listened to the show before, you
know that what I like to focus on is, I like to say, we’re flipping the funnel right. We’re not going after
the $10 times a million. We’re going after the $25,000 right, times one times a net, and the next and
the next to the next. And I look at this buyer’s agent thing as equivalent to that high ticket offer.
Okay, you’re going and I know you’ve been working like this in the past, because typically, certainly
here in New Jersey, the prices of houses are high, so the commissions to real estate agents are high,
and kudos for that. I want there to be more wealthy women in the world, and hopefully this is going to
help you become a wealthier woman, right, or a wealthy woman. But it also it’s not just about the
strategies, it’s also about the mindset around it, right, the mindset around it, and thinking about
yourself as an influencer, thinking about yourself as a thought leader, right, in this world, and thinking
about yourself as somebody worthy of creating these high ticket opportunities and getting 1020, 30,
$50,000 paydays as a buyer’s agent. Okay, you know if when you’re using LinkedIn and PR together
to position you as this thought leader, this is when you attract more clients, you build these stronger
relationships, and you are standing out and thriving in this crazy, wild, wild west, shifting market. So
I’ve got a couple things for you here. Okay, I’m not done with you here. This is This podcast was really
meant to just kind of inspire you to know, to understand that this is an opportunity for you. And you
know, I’m always here to support you, but I’ve also created something for you. I’ve created a secret.
Podcast where I get to dive into these topics a little deeper. Okay, all of these different things we talk
about today, I’ve created a secret podcast, and you’ll get it’s just set up like a regular podcast, but it’s
just not public to the world. I want you to I only want people to be listening to this that have a reason
to want to understand these techniques. Okay, so not only though, are you going to be getting some
strategy on the secret podcast, because mindset is such a big part of everything I do. You know, as
you’re shifting from what you used to be to what you’re stepping into, and as you’re shifting your
mindset around, I’m a real estate agent too. I’m a thought leader with high ticket offers. There’s some
mindset stuff with it. So I’ve also included in this secret podcast some visualizations that you can
listen to to help you with the mindset piece of this, so you can step into this powerfully and
confidently and just have so much fun with this. So if you go to Karen yankovich.com/buyer agent,
you will find a link. It’s, you just have to subscribe to it, and we’ll you’ll get a link to be able to listen to
this secret podcast. I would love for you to take a listen to this because it’s where I’m able to go a
little deeper than I feel like I can go on this podcast itself. So it’s a series of multiple episodes, just
one after another, talking about how you can build this presence out for yourself. Okay, so check that
out. Karen yankovich.com/buyers, agent, I would love for you to check that out. And if this episode
was a value to you, what I would love for you to do, what I would you know, I do all of this to support
you. What you can do for me in return is take a quick screenshot of this, share it on your network and
tell all your real estate agent. Estate Agent friends to listen. Okay, tag me so I can see it, so then I can
share it with my audience, and then we all get more visibility that way, right? That’s how we lift each
other up. But if you can share this episode with your networks of real estate agent friends that would
help me and allows me to be able to do more of this stuff that I’m able to do for you, like create
these, these free resources for you. So that is it for today, my friends, I hope that this was valuable. I
am excited about the opportunity that’s in front of you. And until next time, stay confident, stay
visible and keep making those powerful connections.