At the 2013 exclusive MegaCamp event held in Austin, TX, Gary Keller interviewed a number of successful agents from across the country as he emphasized the power of focusing on the ONE Thing.
One such interview included Keller Williams agent Dan Ihara from Honolulu, Hawaii, who has created a seniors niche in his market by concentrating his efforts on adding value to older adult homeowners, caregivers, and seniors generally through classes, seminars, and services.
Dan and his wife, Julie, lead a team of agents and have also incorporated a senior move management service into their value proposition. This added value not only helps serve their team’s clients, but also those represented by other agents in the area.
When I heard from many of our clients attending MegaCamp that they heard Dan present, I wanted to speak to him personally to find out what he attributed to their success in the seniors niche, so I gave him a call.
In talking with Dan, I was pleasantly surprised. To be honest, there was a 50/50 chance that he would be just like many of the egomaniacs I have observed over the years telling everyone how great he is, only to be a nobody next year because of total burn out or inevitable market shifts.
But, not Dan! It was clear from our conversation that not only is he competent business person, but he is genuinely interested in and passionate about serving seniors.
You see, passions trump tasks all day long.
The Ihara Team isn’t the only team making seniors real estate front and center in their sales businesses these days!
Certified Senior Housing Professionals, Brett and Annette Junell of Team Junell with Keller Williams in Reno, NV, are also taking their niche to the next level by connecting with area senior living communities and creating a massive following through their senior seminars.
In Indianapolis, IN, Lisa Parrett (www.indianapolisseniormoveexperts.com), Certified Senior Housing Professional, has converted her once fast-paced short sale business to a seniors real estate and housing focus and says that while her production is higher than ever before, what she does now is more rewarding and personally fulfilling, making it more fun and much less stressful than working short sales.
And last but not least, using the Downsizing Made Easy Presentation System, Victoria Hathaway has elevated the image and brand of the Silver Group, a division of The Bob Lucido Team of Keller Williams Realty in Maryland to new heights. Heading up the seniors division of this already successful sales team, Victoria, is tasked with marketing and public relations specifically geared toward the senior segment. She holds educational events and engages the team in community service projects adding value to the seniors in their service area. (The Lucido Team was with Re/Max when this post was originally written).
Your One Thing
Authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan are on to something when they talk about the ONE Thing. For these agents, their ONE Thing is the seniors real estate niche. Each of them approach it differently by incorporating their own style, knowledge base, and zone of genius, but their daily energy and attention is centered around service to seniors.