You’ve made a name for yourselves with ‘Behind the Suits’. Why a podcast?
Adam: Bobby’s mission was to change the negative connotation of real estate agents one person at a time. My challenge to Bobby was to think of a universal way to target more people at once.
Most people think you need to be granted permission to do a podcast, or that you need to be an industry expert.
We don’t claim that we are. We have a backlog of 11 episodes and they’re all helpful to consumers in real estate.
When consumers say ‘we’re nervous about selling’, we tell them it’s good to get a few opinions, but in the meantime here’s a link to a podcast. Episodes include how to choose an agent and how to manage your asking price.
How hard was it to set up?
Adam: It was tough when we didn’t know how to set it up. Realistically we’ve got a microphone, editing software and a hosting service.
We prepare content each week, which takes a bit of time and effort, including a vlog that’s associated with each episode. On top of that we offer transcripts.
Bobby: As far as it being difficult to execute, it’s really not.
Practice makes perfect. With practice we found the confidence in our voices and the guest interaction was better in each episode.
It’s the same for anyone – if you want to try something new it’s going to be a bit daunting at first. You’re human; you’re not meant to be perfect, as long as you’re giving it a go, I think people appreciate that.
Let’s go back in time – when did you meet?
Adam: We started in real estate about four years ago with each of us joining the office we were working at within three months of each other.
Tell us about Agency Central.
Adam: We launched on 2 October 2018. There’s eight of us in the company. Bobby and I run our Wilton office, which is in the Wollondilly Shire.
Back to day one – how did get your names out there?
Adam: Essentially we picked three core areas to focus on.
The first was a hyper-local one, with the aim of prospecting, door knocking and just giving, not asking for anything.
Every day our assistant picks someone we’ve met and sends a few scratchies and a thank you card, letting them know it meant a lot. Hopefully if they win a prize it will help with the mortgage.
Bobby: Recently a contact referred us without having worked with us.
We had only met her twice while prospecting. We thought that was surreal and a good sign that our idea was working. It’s amazing how the little things in life make such a difference.
It’s amazing how the little things in life make such a difference.
Talk us through tier two.
Bobby: The second tier is quite common from a networking standpoint. Volunteering at the school in a program called Reading and Succeeding, which helps children with reading and literature.
We sponsor a few local teams, partner with cafes and the Chamber of Commerce.
Our big focal point has been our use of social media and our personal brand presence.
Explain your approach in building a digital presence and how long you spend on social media.
Adam: Our aim is to post once a day, every day. The hit and miss with other agents on social media is that it’s not a place to sell your property.
Generally, buyers go to websites like REA and Domain. When people go on social media, they aren’t going to Facebook to buy a house.
Bobby: Our podcast is a big component, sharing ideas about buying and selling, but also entertainment.
Everyone goes onto social media with the hope of being entertained on their lunch break. If we can find ways to be interesting, different and entertain people, that really attracts more people.
How do you define entertainment?
Bobby: That’s where our vlogs come in. It’s a skit essentially. It’s a two-minute comedy act.
One vlog was about how it feels when you get a listing and we know a lot of agents will relate. Another thing that made it easier for us is we don’t really mind how many likes or shares we get.
Adam: Education lies in the podcast for the most part and also the blog that we do.
It’s a blend of helpful information and entertainment. The vlogs tell stories, showing a bit of vulnerability, and there’s entertainment in that.
How do you come up with fresh content for the podcast?
Adam: An average podcast has about 13 episodes. We deduced that people kind of give it a red-hot crack and then after a while they don’t get the traction, or the number of viewers they wanted, and give up.
We actually have enough content within our database for 80 episodes; it’s just a matter of expanding on each of the topics.
If you have 11 episodes that looks okay, if you have a hundred episodes, clearly you’re an authority in the business and you can’t just make a hundred episodes in one week.
Bobby: If we do it consistently every two weeks eventually we’re going to have a hundred episodes. Just thinking long-term, we are excited especially because we have a bit of traction.
This is nothing compared to two or three years’ time. It’s just a matter of staying consistent, understanding it’s a long-term game and it’s fun as well.
If someone told you content marketing is nonsense and takes too long, how would you respond?
Adam: It’s always hard to quantify how much you’re getting from marketing like this.
That’s what I mean when people kind of give up on it because I don’t think we’ve sold a house yet from having a podcast.
Bobby: There’s no way to quantify it; you need to look at the bigger picture.
People want to deal with people they know and trust and the more frequently they get to see what you’re doing the more they’re going to know and trust you.
We’ll get a shot at business if everywhere you look you see us, whether that is through our prospecting, social media or in the community.
We consistently put a post out to target our entire area, so we know, when they’re on their couch that night scrolling through Facebook, they will see the post.
Adam: If people are going to use social media like Facebook and Instagram, it will allow you to track the data in terms of how many people are seeing, opening and engaging with content.
With traditional marketing, through letterbox drops and things like that, which is a very small component of our business, it is impossible to track.
