Interview with Tyler Goff about partnering with coach Lars Hedenborg. Tyler describes moving from a single-agent practice to a team (started ~4 years before interview), discovering Lars via another coaching program, and joining Lars about 1.5–2 years prior. Lars helped rework business infrastructure (commission splits, systems) and implement detailed accountability. Measured outcomes: profitability and sales grew (from about $26M to roughly $33–34M in the most recent year), last year they closed ~209 transactions overall and ~91 listing transactions while avoiding weekend appointments; the business partner exited operationally last year; Tyler plans to stop listing as of July 1 (year of interview) and add buyer/listing agents. Stated 2015 targets: ~320 transactions (speaker says "over 350, close to 320") and revenue target ~ $42M. Tyler highlights improved work-life balance (no weekend appointments, limited weeknight evenings, more family time) and credits Lars' detailed, accountability-focused coaching for the gains. Tone: testimonial, reflective; sentiment: positive, confident.
Questions this video answers
About 1.5 to 2 years.
About 10 years.
About 4 years ago.
From about $26 million to roughly $33–34 million last year.
91 listing transactions last year; no weekend appointments.
So how long have you been working with Lars?
We've been working with Lars. I'd have to look for sure, but I. It's been close to year and a half, maybe two years.
Okay, and how long have you been in real estate? And kind of describe the path that led you to working with Lars.
Yeah. So started real estate 10 years ago and was just, up until about four years ago, was just a single agent on my own. Teamed up with my business partner about four years ago and to start our team. And we really had a vision of what we wanted to do. So we did hire some different coaches and actually that's what led us to Lars. We got to know Lars through our other coaching program that we were in and just. Lars was always kind of the top producer in that group and winning tons of awards and just kind of had a business model that we, you know, would look up to, really, and the type of guy that we could really relate with. And so we kind of hit a spot in our business would have been about two years ago where the team, we were growing and everything was going well, but we just felt like we were kind of on a path that wasn't leading us to the end result that we were looking for. And we honestly, we just were talking and we said, let's just reach out to Lars, who we didn't really know. He didn't have a really even have a coaching program at that point. And we just said, let's reach out to Lars because that's the type of business that we want. And so let's maybe see if he can help us out. And we actually called him up and he kind of started laughing. He said, that's funny that you call. I'm about to launch a coaching business here in the next month, but you guys would be perfect guinea pigs for. To see if my stuff actually does work. And so we kind of got in on the ground level, I guess, and yeah, it's just been a really great partnership for us and for our business.
Nice. You said that point like one and a half or two years ago when you first started talking to him. What were some of those first things you started implementing or things that he noticed right away?
Yeah, so I mean, for us it was. I mean, we had kind of the lead generation systems. We had all the tools that we needed. For us, it was more of an overall kind of infrastructure of our business. And so we spent a couple days with him of just analyzing, you know, the. Just that the infrastructure of how we had things set up and the way we were doing things, and he was able to kind of look at things and, you know, look at holes in our business, areas of our, you know, that we'd never get the profitability that we needed in order to, you know, exit the business. And so for us, it was more of a setup thing, and we had a team of agents in place. And so it was a lot of going back in and readjusting some of the splits that we had them on and, you know, different setups like that. And, you know, that's where we felt really, that once we started doing those things, it was like we knew that was probably what we needed to be doing. But having somebody like Lars that you really trusted and you knew that he had been through it, he'd done it on his own. And so we really trusted every piece of advice that he gave us. And so when he said, here's the next 10 steps you need to take, we just, you know, trusted him and said, okay, we'll. We'll do them. And so, you know, that's kind of the starting point, I guess, for us.
Sure. So since changing up some of that infrastructure and splits and those things, what kind of results have you been seeing with Lars?
Yeah, so we've, you know, we've seen a big growth in our. In our sales, but more importantly, our profitability has increased and we're slowly exiting the business. My business partner got out last year. She exited and start now, she focuses kind of on the operation side of things. The goal for us is this year is for me to be out of the listing side of the business by July 1st. And so we are fully confident that we'll be able to do that. And so not only going from probably, you know, I think we were right around like, that 26 million or so to last year, we did right around 33 million. In between 33 and 34 million. So we've seen great increase, but now we've got just the infrastructure in place. We've just added two new. Two new buyer agents and one listing agent who's gonna take over for me as of July 1st. And so just put us in, like, a. The position and the path that we always wanted to be on, but we weren't getting the right advice before to take those steps to lead us here. And so. So it's just been awesome for us and just really at peace with where our business is at, knowing that everything is set up for us to do exactly what we set out to do four years ago.
Yeah. Did you say you've had coaching in the past or was Lars kind of the first?
No, we had coaching. We really started coaching when we started our team four years ago is when we knew that we were going to need help, you know, from somebody that had more experience than us and what we were trying to do. We were good agents, we weren't good business owners, which there's a big difference between being a really good real estate agent and knowing how to run the business and you know, from a, from, you know, profitability model and you know, so that's where we knew we needed help and so we did. We had a coach, you know, pretty much day one from when we started our team four years ago and, and Lars would be our second coach then.
Okay, so how would you say his coaching is different from what you were doing in the past?
I would say, you know, our coach in the past did a lot of good things for us. I don't even, I don't really have any negative things to say about the coach because he did take us from, you know, zero to probably, you know, seven, you know, on a scale of one to ten. He kind of, he helped us get there. But I mean, from going from that seven to, you know, 10, basically where you're, where we wanted to be, there's so many details, there's so many little things that if you're not really paying attention to the detail side of the business, that it's in my opinion, almost impossible to get, you know, that last little jump and you know, really enjoy an income that we all want to, to make and without doing all the day to day activities inside the business. So the thing that we knew, we kind of knew going into it when we, even before we called Lars, that he would bring to the table and he has, is that just that he knows this business, you know, every single detail, every little tiny step of what it's going to take to get, to get to where you want to go. And he, he just does exactly that. I mean, he works with us on the smallest little tweaks that aren't easy that normally you would without somebody pushing you and holding you accountable. I know we would have never done, you know, done some of those things because we just overlook them and but those are like the same exact things that make all the difference in the world too. And so that's where, you know, Lars is coaching. He's just, he's very smart for one, but he just knows the detail side of things, you know, the business inside and out and what it takes to really be a Business owner and not. Not just another real estate agent that has a team of people. But you're still doing 90% of the effort.
Yeah, definitely. You mentioned how you wanted to be out of the listing side by July 1st.
Yep.
Do you have any stories of improving your personal life outside of business? I mean, I'd imagine it'll free up at that point. Maybe.
Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. For, you know, I mean, one of the things Lars, when we first started meeting with him, I mean, we were kind of in the. In the position where, you know, we just had a lot of doubt, you know, of, well, we can't do that in our market or that's not gonna work here in our city, and people don't do things that way. And Lars, you know, just really came in. He's like, night appointments, you know, stop scheduling night appointments, Stop scheduling weekend appointments. Stop doing these things that you don't want to do. You know, you're the owner. You run your own business. You run it how you want it to look. And so on the listing agent side, when we started, I mean, one of the first things he said is, you know, you can't get rid of completely night appointments. Or maybe you can. We haven't been able to. I guess, you know, as a listing agent, you kind of expect you're gonna work a couple nights here and there, but we really got it dialed into specific nights and, you know, number of evenings that I. That I work, which is a lot less than what we were doing before going to no weekend appointments whatsoever. And so last year, on the listing side, I believe I did 91 transactions on the listing side, and I didn't work a single weekend. I didn't have a single weekend appointment. And, you know, with about three evenings during the Monday through Friday week that I had open available. So it's. Yeah, it's been really great. And just to still do even more business, you know, as the listing agent, but then freeing up time to spend with. We have two daughters that are five and three, and so, you know, pretty important stages in their life that, you know, I want to be home for. I want to be there as their dad, more importantly than, you know, a really good business owner. So. So being able to be them, be there for them and my wife and just, you know, I mean, that's what our focus has always been is, is to how do we do this and be successful and make the type of money we want to make without working, you know, 100 hours a week and, you know, sacrificing our family life for that. So that's always been the ultimate goal for us, and it's just Lars has helped us achieve that. Awesome.
Okay. What tips would you offer someone in the program right now to maximize their success?
Yeah, I would say. I mean, we were at a point when we came to Lars, we were like, we were just. I wouldn't say our business wasn't at a dead end, but my business partner and I were just at a point where it's like, you know, something needs to change. And I guess I would almost say Lars was almost our last resort, or it was like, either he's going to be able to help us or, you know, this business is never going to be what we want it to be. So we were really at a point where we were willing to do whatever it was that he advised us to do. And that's why we called him, is because we didn't even know him that well, but we just knew that he. We could trust him and that he would be honest with us and he would lead us down the right path. And I don't know why he's just kind of got that about him that he's, you know, I mean, he's one of those guys that even without knowing him, you just know he's gonna be upfront honest with you. And so my advice to new people coming in the business, whether you're at a position in your business where you feel like you're at a dead end or not, I would say the sooner that you really start implementing those. These ideas, these systems that Lars has that he'll give to you, the better off and the quicker you're going to get to where you want to be. And I will say none of it is easy. It's nothing that really is just going to come naturally. But as a business owner, sometimes you have to do things that are more difficult and, you know, upfront to implement, you know, and a lot of it comes from fear. You're just afraid that, oh, this isn't going to work in my market. This isn't. My clients aren't going to go for this. And it's just false. You know, I think the sooner you realize that and you just. And you just take the advice that Lars gives you, the better off that you'll be.
Definitely. Okay, I guess. Yeah. The last thing is kind of, what does success look like to you and where is your business headed?
Yeah, for this year. Success, you know, kind of going back. Success has always been, you know, it doesn't really necessarily even start with my business success to me looks like, you know, having a good relationship with my wife, my kids and being them, being there for them first and foremost and success through this business this year for us, especially for me is, you know, I won't be listing homes as of July 1st and something that we've been working towards for over four years now and and from there and with the new agents we brought on and the systems that we kind of have going at full speed at this point, we're looking to go from last year we did 209 transactions. We're looking to go over over 350, close to 320 this year and looking from going from 33 million up to like that 42 million range. So we got big goals for this year. I know there's definitely teams and groups out there doing a lot more than us, but for us that's what success would look like in 2015.
