Elizabeth moved from Atlanta to Austin in 2008 and knocked on doors in her 44-townhome community with her toddler, writing handwritten notes to each neighbor. She touched clients three times a month and built a business on referrals, including one worth $1.2M, by staying consistent and authentic instead of pitching.
44
18 months
Atlanta, Georgia
2008
44
Time. Because it's really in your mind, right? I mean, if you say you're not going to do something, you're either going to be able to do it or you're not going to be able to do it, right? It depends on what decision you've already made. And so for me, I approach this as well. I have to meet people. It works hand in hand and get to know people that way. And so if you think about what I tell people, how I got into the business was we. I lived somewhere. Everybody lives somewhere. When we moved to Austin, I lived in a townhouse community. There were 44 townhomes. And I put my little guy, he was 18 months at the time, and I put him in a. A wagon. And we literally knocked on the neighbors doors. Now, we did not knock on neighbors doors to ask them for business or to pitch that. I was a real estate agent. Right? We knocked on their doors authentically and genuinely to get to know our neighbors. Everybody wants to know, oh, who moved in over there. I wonder what their story is. Everybody has a story, right? So we just made it really easy. We knocked on the doors. Hi, I'm Elizabeth. This is my son Tripp. My family and I just moved here from Atlanta, Georgia. We just wanted to get out and say hi. We just moved into 8850 honeysuckle. Like, oh, my gosh, how are you? Right. I never talked about real estate. It wasn't about that. It was really about the connection and getting to know your neighbors, your vibe attracts your tribe, your community. And so I got to know all 44 of those people. And they were older. It was almost like they were all my grandparents. They were the sweetest people ever. And they would always ask me, well, what did you do in Atlanta and why are you here in Austin? They want to know. People want to talk about. And again, that was 2008, so way before COVID but. And I would tell them everything and, well, what did you do there? I was in real estate. Well, what are you going to do here? Well, I'm in real estate. What are you crazy? Do you know the market? And then it gives me an opportunity to have a conversation. You never know where those conversations are going to go. But here's what I did. Different than. I think a lot of agents miss this opportunity. They forget that it's the relationship. You earn the relationship, you're going to earn the business. So I would go back and I still do this to my. To this day. I would go back and I wrote 44 handwritten notes to every single neighbor I met. Now, I have a good memory, so I would remember that, you know, Ann down the street had her dog Daisy, or I would remember that, you know, Paul had his cat, whatever the situation was. If you don't remember that, just put a note in your phone or something to remember later. But I wrote a handwritten note to each one of them, and it was so great to meet you. We're excited to be here in the community. We can't wait to connect with you in the future. If I can ever do anything for you, please let me know your neighbor Elizabeth and Trip or what have you, right? And then what I started doing is being consistent. And I think what happens is people just give up. They do one thing, and the business doesn't come, and they just say, well, that didn't work. I am consistent in my messaging, consistent in my communication and reaching out. I touch my clients three times a month in different ways. I still send letters to all those people that live in that community, that townhouse community, that I still own that property, right? But they still stay in touch with me. And I actually got a $1.2 million referral from one of the little old ladies who had somebody that needed to send a home, sell their home, just because they felt like they knew me and they had trusted me. So I think people give up too simply. And I think if you send them letters, send them notes, not, hey, I'm having a contest, or, hey, you know, who do you know, looking to buy or sell? Truly let them into your life and create that relationship. The business will come if you stay in touch with them. Like I said, three times a month, every single month for the last 17 years is what I've done, and that's what's built my business. And that's why the referrals keep coming.
