Film Great Real Estate Content Every Day & Grow Your Brand

If I challenge you to shoot a video every single day, would you follow through? Think about that question. If I challenge you to build your brand, the only thing I know that actually creates a moat in a residential real estate agent's business that becomes unpenetrable, would you actually take action on it? Well, this guy did. Tim, welcome to the show.

Thank you. Thank you so much. So.

So, Tim, give the. Give the listener a little context, whether they're watching or listening. How long have you been in the business? Where do you sell houses? Give us a context for what your business looks like before we talk about all this Instagram stuff you've been doing.

So I've been in the business for 20 years. 2004 was when I got into it. Yeah. It was kind of a necessity for me to. To, like, I wanted to get my family to the Des Moines, Iowa, metro. Y. I was living in a small town. It just wasn't where I wanted to raise my kids. I'm like, hey, I jumped all in. I think I was like 27 or something like that. But two decades ago.

Yeah.

So Des Moines, Iowa. Love the area. It's a really actively growing community as well. So that. That's really good.

Doesn't it also have a booming kind of tech vibe now?

Like, it's starting to.

Yes.

I mean, we're starting to get more and more. I mean, Microsoft has a big place there. Facebook has a massive community that they've been building there. So, yeah, it's starting to really grow.

Right on. So 27, 20 years ago, you get in the business. How many homes will you sell this year? And then let's get into all this insta stuff.

Yeah. So, like, going back to how many homes I sell, I've got this. This thing that I do on a weekly basis. Yeah. And I've been doing it 20. All of 22, 23, 24. Now 25. Where I want to sell 100 homes in a year. And I track it. Yeah. Three years ago, I sold 92. Last year I sold, I think, 69. Yeah. And then another 69 or two years in a row that the down years were. Sure, 69.

Sure.

And then this year I've got, I think at 23. So far this year it's been pretty slow.

Yeah.

Pretty slow.

Yeah. So. So you say that with kind of a solemn look on your face, and yet you're at 23 transactions for the year when a lot of people would love to be in that position. You've done. But I get it. Yeah, I get it. You Know, nobody likes to go backwards.

Yeah. So.

So. So I challenged you. Why don't you unpack the challenge so people get contacts and then let's talk about this. This whole sort of incredible experience you've had.

Yeah. So the challenge on that video a day. So the video a day came up, and I think you had either a podcast or someone on stage back. It was like October of 22.

Yes.

And I was like, man, I can do that. And I just started thinking more about it. And then there's a guy named Todd Collins. He's a social media marketing guy out in Maryland. Somehow we got on the TikTok thing and, you know, I started watching him and he was doing a live an hour every day that year, and I'm like, if he can do a live every day, I sure as hell can do a video every day.

Yes.

So I started that January 1st of 2023.

Okay.

And I have not missed a single day. It's 870 days in a row.

Congratulations. Now, you seem like a pretty disciplined guy. So is adding a new routine like that something easy for you?

I like to challenge myself. I mean, I. Everything I do in my life are challenges. Like, and I know if I can stick to that challenge, that I'm going to be successful. Yes. So, like, I just mentioned where I have that 100 house goal. Every Friday since 20, January 1st of 2022, I do a video that says, here's how many houses I sold, here's how many I didn't sell. Like, yeah, the wins and losses. And that's.

How are you tracking the losses?

Well, the losses. If I don't have a closing that week.

Got it. Okay.

And then.

So it's.

Yeah.

So it's not like I had a listing that expired or a deal fell apart.

Got. So each update that I do, I also try and mix in a story. Right. So it's like, hey, this week I sold zero houses. But. But, hey, here's. And then, like I said, it's been a tough week. You know, there's been some losses, had a couple listings expire. But yeah, you know, we're going to continue pushing and pushing and next week, you know, make sure you come back and see if we get one done next week.

So I got that. So let's go back to that. That first day, January 1st. Let's assume the person listening right now is like, okay, I get it now, by the way, is there a correlation to shooting content and doing less transactions?

Because someone's going to say the guy's Got a goal of 100. He went as high as 92, but he did 92 in what I refer to as the champagne and cocaine of real estate.

Right.

Like when every, you know, money was next to nothing, everybody was moving for no apparent reason. We did 6.9 million individual unit transactions and then, you know, slowly 23 less. You know, 23 less, 24 less. This year looks like we are at the bottom and now we're starting to come out of it. But again, that's market by market. Right, Right. Every market is different. Right. So I actually celebrate the fact that you continue to sell so many darn houses. But I don't want the listener to be like, he started doing all this content and he sold less homes. That there's not how it works.

Yeah. There's not a correlation at all. Yeah. It, I feel like right now, if you look at my board of the people that I'm, that I have, that I'm harvesting.

Right.

That I've got, it's bigger than it's ever been.

Yeah.

Like I'm telling you, like I probably have 30 or 40 people that are in the works that have been in the works for a year.

Right. We've DMed about this.

And so there's going to be a time when they all hit. And so like part of me is like stressed and worried and nervous because I am down. Like I am down. I've got two full time employees, you know, and I want, I care about their families.

Like. Right.

I care about my family. So I need to keep producing.

Yes.

To provide. Yes. And I get worried, of course. But at the end of the day, I know that my hard work and the things that I'm doing, it's going to pop off and things are going to change. Be just fine.

You're so lucky to be doing this today. Even though, you know, again, we're on a flat to declining market on transactions right across the country. Us, Canada, most of Europe. Europe seems to be picking up pretty aggressively right now. But at the end of the day, you decided to do something radically different. So, so you go back to that day, January 1st. I got so many questions I want to unpack. But let's start with when you first said, I'm going to do this, did you have like some inspiration around what, what content you had put out? So what were you thinking in the early days? If I went back, you know, 880 days ago, what am I going to see in that content?

I've been doing videos for like since 2012. I mean, I didn't like my first videos were the slideshows. Yeah. And I always use Blake Shelton's home, the song home. And I'm like, oh, this is really good. Look at it now. It's totally stupid. Oh, yeah. So I've never really stuck to like one thing. And I've had times throughout, throughout the period where I'm like, okay, we're gonna have, you know, throwback Thursday. You know, the common things. And I just never got comfortable with that.

Yeah.

And I feel like when I'm talking to clients and when I'm experiencing my day, I'm always aware of that. Right. And so, like, content just pops up.

Yeah.

Like I'll have a conversation with my videographer, I'll have a conversation with a client. And it's like, that's a good topic.

Yeah.

I get done with conversation, I immediately record it. So, like, as far as a plan, this is the type of stuff I'm gonna do. Yeah. I never had a plan like that. Y. Yeah. My content is all over the board. Yeah.

So. So there's something to going with the flow. And I appreciate that because I do a lot of that as well. And there, there is the sort of thematic, hey, once a month I'm going to give you a market update or once a month we're going to talk about home prices or whatever it may be. So it sounds like you kind of do that and way more because looking at your channel, it could be, hey, you know what? The number one question that I get from first time home buyers. Right. It's like 427,000 views on it. Right. And then the next one might have like 5 or 8,000. So when you first got started in the early days, did you ever feel like quitting?

I. I don't. I'm not a quitter. Like that. That's not really in my blood.

Yeah.

But where there's some hard times. 100% talk about that. Yeah. So, like, there was one time I pretty sure I probably had Covid. Right.

Yeah.

And it was funny because that day I challenged myself. Or that month I challenged myself. I'm gonna do a hundred push ups and I'm gonna do that run a mile a day.

Yeah.

Like I had this challenge to myself and I was like doing dying at 103 temperature and I went and ran my mile and I did my push ups and I laid in bed and I felt like death. And all I posted that day was, I don't know about you, but I feel like crap.

Yeah.

And. But it was a video. And I got for, like, weeks after. Days after that, people were like, hey, you feeling better? Hope you're feeling better. You know, it's like, so it doesn't really matter. I met my. Have daughters that play club volleyball. Yeah. And there's days where you're like, oh, you know, I don't know if you've ever been in that world, but those tournaments are exhausting. And you're in these buildings with no WI fi. You can't do anything. So I posted a video of my daughter playing volleyball on my real estate page. Sure. So I think the more videos that you do, the more authentic they are, the more clients get to know you. That way, when they call you to work with you, they already know who they're calling.

So. So if you were to advise somebody, do you think this is a pure brand play or. Or is it a. I want to transfer my insight, my ip. Like, I think about one of my friends, one of my closest friends on the planet, a guy named Kurt Kessel. He and his partner Dwayne, number one or number for compass in this entire state of Florida. And I think nationally, they're probably top four or five. I challenge them, my goodness. Probably in 2015, 2016. Fellas, between the two of you, you've been selling real estate for 60 years. Why don't you do, like, 60 lessons in 60 years? And so that was a long time ago, almost a decade ago. And they're still trading on. Oh, my God, I've watched all those videos. You gave us, all the insights, you gave us all the lessons. So is it. Is it just get to know me and what I'm all about. So when you. When you show up in the appointment, they're like, I know you like you and trust yourself. Watch everything. Or is there an element of. I also want to educate people, and I want people to be informed. Like, there's got to be some method. There's a lot of madness.

Yeah, there's a lot of it. So, like, when you have to do a video every single day. Yeah. Like, the content is tough to continue to come up with while you're still trying to work and you're still trying to sell homes.

Yeah.

The numbers that we talk about are. Are mine. They're not my team numbers. They're just 100. Correct. Want my team to have their own success so I don't take theirs.

Right.

Yes. But, like, it is hard to come up with content. But I always. The. The ones that do better are the more personal ones.

Interesting.

The the educational ones typically will fall more flat.

Well, yeah. I mean, hey, here's three things you need to know if you're buying a house. Well, that's good for, you know, call it. I don't even know three out of a hundred people. Right. That might be in four or five.

You get three likes on 100 views.

Yeah.

The algorithm isn't picking it up 100%, so that's. That's like the hardest thing for me is I want to do a lot more real estate content. Yeah. I want to do a lot more education. Yeah. But I also know that I need to get followers. I need to get engagement and all of that. And, you know, part of me for a long time struggle, like, why do I need so many followers?

Yeah, you have a lot.

24,000 on Instagram.

Big number.

Yeah. And then on Tik Tok, I've got like 50,000. Yeah. TikTok's been a lot more fun, but, yeah, getting the followers. I came to the conclusion, like, you got. I got three reasons why I want to grow my following. First is it's my job to get as many eyeballs as possible on my listings.

Yes.

So if I have this meme over here that I posted, that has nothing to do with real estate, but it gives me followers and it gives me attention.

Right.

My listings will get more eyeballs and you just never know.

Right.

The other one is it might get me a referral. So, like, if my followers are all over the country, it might get me a referral in some way.

Right.

And I play that card. Like I. I say, no matter where you are in the country, if you're looking to buy or sell a home, give me a call. Yeah, I can help you.

Yeah.

And I talk about how I interview agents and how I can make sure I can take that pain in the butt off your shoulders and get you the right agent that's going to take care of you. Yeah. And the last one is, like, the more, the more followers I have, when someone locally sees my stuff, are they more likely to follow me? Because I have a bunch of follows.

100.

Yeah. So like, they follow the crowd and then that might turn into a client lead at some point.

So. So you look at it from a very analytical perspective, which I do appreciate, because I, I do the same. Do you go deep and look at your content and ask yourself, like, why did that perform? Why did that get shared? You know what, what metrics are you paying attention to?

So analytical. I am, but not. I'm not real good with, like, studying the details and pulling up the analytics. And, like, I. I hear people on your podcast that go through all that stuff, and I'm, man, am I just dumb or something? Because I don't. I can't. I can't do that.

I don't want to go as dumb as a fox, guys. Yeah. I don't.

I don't understand that stuff. But what I do is I test a lot.

Yes.

And, like, for example, and, you know, I work with Todd and. And we talk on a weekly basis. He's like, man, try some memes. Make some memes.

Yeah.

So I made a meme, and it was like this skater, this gal walks out of a building skating, and she slips and falls and she grabs the pool. And I put on up above it. I said, I saw it. How's your 23? It has a hundred million views. Yeah, I saw 100 million views.

Yes.

And it wasn't real estate related, but it was relatable, right? Yes. Especially in the real estate world, because that's. That was when. So October was when those rates jumped for sure. And then that thing hit her in the head.

She's like, yeah, yeah. So looking to buy a house in 2023.

So everything just kind of like, I test everything. Yeah. And some things will hit. So, like, you have, like, the spirit.