Erica Harding: Excellence and Consistency

Erica Harding: [00:00:00] Hey, this is Erica Harding of Engel and Volker's First Coast. If
you are looking to improve your real estate business, you need to be listening to the Real
Estate Excellence Podcast with my good friend Tracy Hayes.

Tracy Hayes: welcome back to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast. Today I have a Ruby
Elite Club winner in the house. She is nearing her sixth year anniversary in real estate. She
has worked for two major real estate brokerages, as you guys all know. I like to dig into that
and and what the difference is [00:01:00] there.
She graduated right here locally from Mandarin High, went to U N F as well. Let's welcome
Erica Harding of Engel and Volkers to the show. Hi.
Erica Harding: Thanks for having me. Thank you. It's welcome to be
Tracy Hayes: here. Excellent. I'm glad you came over and it was good to see you at the
Breakfast of Champions there a couple weeks ago.
Great event. Always, picking up, stuff there. which, which is much like the podcast, you
know, there, there's hopefully something there. Somebody walked away with some,
something new or, or at least a contact. But as I start off the show always I see you went to
Mandarin Highway.
Did you grow up right here locally?
Erica Harding: I did. I did. I grew up on the south side, over in Deer Creek, Deerwood, and
then went over to Mandarin High. I actually did two years down in Gainesville as well.
Mm-hmm. So I graduated from Mandarin High and then, went down to Gainesville, lived
there for two years.
and then I actually applied to UF for a, journalism major. So initially when, I moved, I was
going to Santa Fe, the community college there, and it was very common for people to go
there for two years. And then you were essentially like an [00:02:00] automatic transfer to uf
Yeah. For whatever, save a lot of money.
Oh, yeah. So it's just easier, you know? Yep. So, I did that and, come to find out that was the
year they had switched things. So they were no longer doing the automatic transfer. And, so I
had applied there for journalism and then I had also applied back at U N F, for
communications. So I actually did not get into U N F for, or excuse me, UF for journalism.
at the time it was kind of heartbreaking, but I ended up back in Jacksonville, and studying
communications, which. Looking back now, I'm like, oh my gosh. Like what a better fit for
me. Right. I actually try not to watch the news news right now. so, you know, I just feel like
everything happens Right.

You know, the way it's supposed to be. Right. and so that's, you know, what kind of led back
to you
Tracy Hayes: enough? Well, so journalism, I mean, what, I mean, what did you envision
yourself doing actually, you know, writing for a paper or being on the tv? What was your,
young person's vision
Erica Harding: there? Yeah, so actually when I went to Mandarin High, I was actually on
like the Mandarin High [00:03:00] Morning News.
So I was anchor A and I loved it. I thought it was so fun. I loved being on the camera. I just
loved the whole TV production process, so that was kind of where I was going with it. Yeah.
and even when I went to U N F, even though I was a communications major, I took the
electives for, I can't remember what the class was called exactly, but, you know, TV
production.
Mm-hmm. news, that kind of thing. so I thought maybe I would still pursue that, but then
really realized that I loved advertising, communications and that whole realm so much that
that was really I wanted to put my focus on.
Tracy Hayes: All right. So, well you said it was, it was a benefit. What do you, I mean, I
mean, besides, I'm sure the cost was a lot less to take that outta there, but.
You know, I think, the Lord steers us in certain ways. my faith that you creates doors, open
doors closes doors, door closes over. There you go, go over to un nf. When you look back
now, I mean, as you gestured, you thought it was now a blessing actually. What, what kind of
benefits do you think the smaller classrooms?
I met smaller[00:04:00] university at the time. Cause I imagine Florida, I've never been over
there personally, so I imagine, but with the amount of bigger students's, bigger campus,
Erica Harding: bigger school for sure. Yeah. and in, in some ways, yeah, un n f is, great
because it is a little smaller and I am from there. So I know a lot of people there who are
already going to school.
I had friends who, you know, went from high school straight to the U N F, right? so I think it
kind of benefits you, you feel a little bit more comfortable. The pressures. Off a little bit. but
I feel like it really put me in a great situation for future networking. just meeting so many
people on campus while they're, you know, I'm going to be living in Jacksonville, right.
Raising a family here. So it really, it was a benefit for me for the future, for who I would be
working with and networking with. All right. So
Tracy Hayes: you, you graduate and I see on, in, the name of the company, which I don't,
was was MIT Mag, you have MIT magazine. It was it really MIT Magazine, a name of the
company that was a little confused asses, right?

Is that the, is that how you pronounce it? Yes. So you, you actually spent like six plus years
there.
Erica Harding: I did. So, yeah. So how I got there was at, [00:05:00] well, while I was at U
N F, your senior year, you are required to do an internship. And that internship I applied for,
MIT Magazine, you had to do something advertising related.
So you could go work for a big company or you could kind of go right into, you know, an
advertising world. So I actually had a family connection with MIT Magazine, which is kind
of what led me there. Mm-hmm. and then when I went there at the time, this was when deals
were a big deal, right? Like Groupon, living social, that kind of thing.
So when I went, they were like, you would do great with our girl who does all of our online
marketing, social media. She's our deal girl. and I was like, great, you know, this sounds like
a lot of fun. so I did that. So I interned there with them, learned a ton about, you know,
advertising World print, but also online as well.
saw their salespeople, you know, kind of coming in and out every day. and anyway, so I
graduated from U N F and actually Met Magazine offered me a job. So that girl who was
doing that had kind of been promoted. she was assisting the CEO and they were looking for
someone who could fill her shoes.
So I kind of did that in some [00:06:00] ways. and then while I was there, probably like a
year or two into it, I said, okay, I like this, but I don't know. So while I was there, I was kind
of near the door and I would see their sales agents or salespeople coming in and out every
day, you know? And I'm like, wait, I like that life.
You know, I wanna come in and out every day. I don't wanna sit here at the computer all day,
right? Every day just, you know, mindlessly hoping to get out for lunch. which, you know,
some people that is like the best for them and that's what works for them. But with my
personality, I'm just busy. Yeah. So I need to be on the go.
so anyways, went to the CEO there and I said, Hey, you know, I'm seeing them come in and
out every day. I feel like I could be really great at this. you know, would you be opening
open to giving me that opportunity? And he was like, absolutely. So that same day we went
to the sales manager there and, He was super receptive.
He thought I would be great. And luckily they gave me the chance, right. as someone with no
sales experience, you know, most of their people had a decent bit of experience and, I had
none. Mm-hmm. So they actually put me [00:07:00] out in the Nakai St. Johns County area.
They didn't have anyone out there.
Tracy Hayes: which at that time was very, probably very new, you know?
Totally. Yeah.

Erica Harding: Yeah. Totally. So, you know, you think now you're like, oh wow. Like what
a great area. Well, yes and no.
Tracy Hayes: So not a lot of businesses there yet. No, no.
Erica Harding: There was really not a lot. and my area was naka to even a world golf
village. Well, there was really nothing out there. So I was driving a ton. I was really trying to
make, you know, make something of, you know, not a lot.
Right. and it, what it taught me is hearing the word no. You know, learning about different
businesses, different business owners, what works for them. Mm-hmm. How they run their
businesses. It was super, super interesting.
Tracy Hayes: I, I can, was there any formal, I mean, did they send you to any formal TRA
sales training or just more
Erica Harding: internal things?
Totally. So when I was hired and brought on there, I actually went away to Pennsylvania for
a week to their headquarters and went through a pretty rigorous sales training. Mm-hmm.
You know, you're learning about their brand, how they, you know, operate and things like
that, which was super [00:08:00] interesting. But also, you know, overwhelming.
I mean, I think I was 23 years old. yeah. Yeah.
Tracy Hayes: Amongst people who are much So you'd only worked for them doing the
other stuff for maybe not like a year or so, maybe year before you
Erica Harding: made the transition, maybe? Yeah. Yeah. So I was super young, but very
hungry. I definitely knew this was like in my wheelhouse.
I knew I could be great at it if I just could take everything that they were teaching me and
apply it in my own way. Right. This could be really huge for me. and so, you know, that's
kind of how I got started at Mid
Tracy Hayes: Magazine. Well, you know, obviously we're gonna eventually roll into real
estate, but you know, even for a young person fresh outta college, to go and be and learn how
to be a transaction coordinator, learn how to be someone's a real estate agent's assistant, this
kind of get a feel for what's going on in.
Would you say that that first year of you kind of working in the office kind of gave you a
little more, you know, background on, on what's actually happening and then migrating to
the sales job was a little easier cuz you knew what was happening behind you Totally. So to
[00:09:00] speak and back in the office that you could, you know, place it.

Cause I think a lot of people, you know, they could jump into real estate or jump into really
anything. And if they don't have any background or I, I talk about a wall to that knowledge
to stick on. You know, you could sit in a class, but if you don't know like. You know, I'm sure
you see things today that people told you three years ago.
You're like, why are they telling me this? And all of a sudden that transaction happens now,
you know where that information goes. And I think, you know, I would guess in your
situation that year of working in the office and just, you know, being or being an apprentice
even and then eventually making that leap to sales was a lot easier cuz you were a little more
confident of
Erica Harding: absolutely.
What was actually happening. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't have gone into that position
without, you know, interning and kind of doing that first, so. Mm-hmm. and then they did,
like, every year that I was there, they would send us away for a week to, you know, San
Francisco, to Orlando and we would go through, you know, rigorous, sales.
Training, and I stay rigorous because they're all day, you know, from eight o'clock to 10
o'clock. Right. And you're learning and you're absorbing. and I do take all [00:10:00] those,
key takeaways and, and things I learned there.
Tracy Hayes: I always say the roleplay, roleplaying, ugh. Oh god.
Erica Harding: Yeah. Not my favorite. Yeah. By any means.
Tracy Hayes: but it's kind of like, I forget who I was talking to a few weeks ago, and this is
the second time I've thought of this person, but I can't think of the, but we were talk, we were
talking about just learning the scripts, and, and that sort of thing, and the role playing, and
especially a, as a young person, don't have a lot of life experience and no previous sales
experience.
As much as that hurts to do it, it's like learning the scripts and, and then there's some agents
who are really good and will preach about, Hey, learn the scripts, learn the scripts. Like the
back you're end. And, I think, Megan Ferrell Nelson, she was the one talking about, that's
who, was talking about scripts.
But anyway, all right. So talk her, by the way. She's
Erica Harding: so great. Yes.
Tracy Hayes: So you, you're, you end up, you, you're in sales for a, like the next five years.
Yeah. Five years. They grow your area. They give you more people to talk to. So, or your,
your areas already. Areas already growing, but Yeah, they did.
Erica Harding: My area was growing.

but what happened is I became a mom. Mm-hmm. so here I was driving all over town,
[00:11:00] you know, I mean, we were doing Salesforce, you're doing, you know, they want
you to make a certain amount of calls you need to be doing drop-ins. And it was exhausting.
Yeah. and as someone, you know, with a baby, I'm questioning, you know, is this really the
life I wanna live?
You know, while my kids are little and things like that. So I had to kind of take a step back.
and when I was on maternity leave, my husband Kyle, who's actually a broker throughout the
idea, he's like, Hey, you know, why don't you, you know, contemplate the idea of going into
residential real estate?
He's like, I think you would be amazing at it. I think you have the knowledge and the
willpower. Mm-hmm. And I think you could really like, do really well. So I was like, yeah.
You know, I mean, I like the idea of, that sounds great. and we had actually just built a house,
so we had kind of just gone through a little bit of the process of it.
Mm-hmm. All And so I actually went back to work after I had my son for a little bit, and I
came to them and I said, you guys, I'm sorry, but this just isn't for me anymore. Right? and as
hard as it was for them, they were sad to lose me. I took the rest of the year off [00:12:00]
and, started January one with.
Keller Williams South side, which is where I was for the next five years. Right, right. So
apparently I stay places for five years. Not really. Don't listen that
Tracy Hayes: well. Keller Williams I think is a great place to start for a new they have cuz
because they do have so much, training, there's a lot of their, their structure, if you want to
plug into it from what, at least my perception, you lived it.
So I'm only, I already know because I know, obviously I know a lot of Keller Williams
people, had a quite a few of 'em on the show cause a lot, there's a lot of top producers there,
has a lot of structure. So plugging in, you know, to a system at Keller Williams. But what
actually led you there? Did you actually go and talk to other brokers or?
I did. Okay. Absolutely. Yeah. So that was your
Erica Harding: decision? I did, yeah. So I, I interviewed a couple brokerages in town, one
that I had heard great things about, to see, you know, what would be the best fit for me and
my husband Kyle. He was like, you know, that's really important. Where you're gonna get
training and who you're gonna surround yourself with is really important.
So he kind of gave me that tip. And I knew that there were some great agents who I actually
[00:13:00] just knew in life, over at Keller Williams South side. So they were one of the ones
I, interviewed along with a few others. but when I went in, you know, I just knew you can
pick up on, I'm a big vibe person.

Mm-hmm. So I walked in and I could just tell these people were happy. The, you know,
vibes were good. and it seemed like everything that they were saying that they offered agents
and especially new agents, was right on track with what I was wanting. and I will say the
training that they offered there, I don't wanna sound cheesy, but it's amazing.
Yeah. it, there's nothing else like it in my opinion. I fully engulfed myself. I went into every
training, I listened to every panel. and another thing that I did that I feel like is really or was
a difference maker is about six months in. And I was doing a lot of open houses, by the way.
So I started off as single agent.
I've never been on, you're grabbing
Tracy Hayes: other people's open
Erica Harding: houses and working 'em, and they encourage that in the office. You know,
agents will post, there's like a private Facebook page where, hey, you know, I have a new
listing. Anyone wanna do an open house? And people can kind of, you know, take advantage
of that, which is [00:14:00] huge and great.
would do that from time to time. And then, that was really helpful in, in the start of growing
my business, honestly, because people actually, from the outside looking in don't know if
that's your open house, if that's, you're hosting it for somebody else. So you just being there
and hosting it and posting it online, Hey, I'm hosting an open house.
They think that you are busy. You know, they think that's your open house. and it, it's really
helpful a to your outside world who's watching you, your future customers and people who
might refer you, but also, just to see every, you know, for you to be out there and, you're not
busy looking busy just
Tracy Hayes: in, just in that point you just made.
I mean, have you found, or, or maybe realized early, I mean, cuz now you know, you now
you work for another major brokerage, Ingel and Volkers. It's really not, to, to an agent. The
brokerage is what you're talking about. Like, you've, you've thought Keros gonna be able to
offer you what you, you know, as a new agent, what you needed.
So you plugged in. But as the consumer looking from the outside in, they don't really even
[00:15:00] chart. Is it Keller Williams? Is it Remax? Is it Ingo Volker? In my opinion, sure.
Yeah. I mean that
Erica Harding: people don't know the difference. Yeah. they know you and who you're
representing and of course, you know, when you don't have a lot of experience, you want to
lean on that.
I leaned, you know, in the beginning on the fact that I was a Keller Williams sell side agent.
We are. At the time, we were one of the top brokerages, I think number one or two in town.

Mm-hmm. and I think the other one was our Jack speech office. So at the time it was, you
know, super reputable people definitely were recognizing Keller Williams, and that's what I
needed as a, an agent with, you know, a brand new
Tracy Hayes: agent.
Well, I was just starting this, you know, you, you doing the open house, no one knows
whether it's yours or not because the out the outside consumer isn't paying attention to the
internal right
Erica Harding: workings. They just see that you're out working and meeting people and,
you know, I would show, Hey, I have, you know, everything all set up.
It looks so nice. I'm here till four. You know? Yeah. That kind of thing. and just showing
people, you know, future sellers, like, Hey, look at what I would do for you. but also just
putting it out there. I, I'm a poster, so I'm gonna be posting. Well, tell us,
Tracy Hayes: [00:16:00] tell us a little bit, because you said initially when you first started
with,Velas that marketing and you were, and they wanted you in the office, handling the
social media.
At the time, which social media today is light years.
Erica Harding: It was literally their Facebook page. Yeah. But yeah.
Tracy Hayes: But how, you know, what you learned, what are some of the things that maybe
you took away from that that you're now applying
Erica Harding: today? Sure. Yeah. Sure. So posting every day, you know, whether you
think you're being annoying or not, you're not.
and, and the truth is, if you're posting, from a standpoint of you're genuinely enjoying what
you're doing, hey, even if it's just your morning coffee or what have you, people, you know,
staying top of mind, I will literally, you know, put a story up that says, here's my morning
coffee and I'm scrolling through new listings.
Do you have a property you wanna see this week? Mm-hmm. Little things like that, make a
big difference. And so, you know, like I said, even if you don't have a lot going on in the
beginning Right. Act like you do. Right. You know, fake it till you make it type of thing. but
one thing that I will say about Keller Williams, you know, just kind of leading mm-hmm.
Off of that, I [00:17:00] did their Bold program, so I don't know if you're familiar with Call
Williams Bowl or not. We have.
Tracy Hayes: There's some people have taken it multiple times. I was trying to, somebody
who I had it in here. Yes. she'll come to me. She told me she took it like five or six times, but

Erica Harding: yeah, I'm familiar with it.
Yeah. I'm, yeah. I've only done it once. and that was really at the time, a such a difference to
Maker for me. So a new agent, I think I was six months in, I did the Bold Program, which a
lot of people from, you know, other brokers are like, oh my gosh, I'm the Bold program. but
to be honest, when you go through it, it's, it's pretty life changing.
Mm-hmm. it kind of, you take your real estate business and your real life and it, they take
you, you, you look at a different perspective of why am I doing this? How can I talk to the
people who I see every day in a different way, a more approachable way? How can I come
from contribution all the time?
You know, we're, yes, it's a transaction, but you always wanna be the person who's coming
from contribution. What can I do for my customers? How can I expand on that?
Tracy Hayes: Explain, expand on the contribution part of it. Give us, simplify
Erica Harding: it for us. [00:18:00] Sure. So first of all, I'm always trying to educate
myself. Mm-hmm.
You know, I'm going to every training and, and and I always wanna be the best agent I can
be. I listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and you really have to live that life. If, if you're gonna
do this full-time, you really need to be listening to other top agents. You need to be educating
yourself on the market and on just how business is ran these days, because you can fall
behind.
so that's kind of where I, I really take it seriously come from contribution. Mm-hmm. I
wanna be the best agent I can be so that I can help as many families as I can in the best way
possible. You know, I think if you read a lot of my Google reviews, some of them say, I
thought this was gonna be really stressful.
And it wasn't, I actually enjoyed it and it was, you know, blah blah blah. and I think that's
really what I want. That's what I strive for. You know, I want people to enjoy the process and
feel like I did everything I could do for them, that they were anticipated.
Tracy Hayes: When you're, when you're saying, when you use the word contribution, from
what I'm reading, what I'm way you, describe that is [00:19:00] you try to be as most, cuz
every situation is different, every transaction's different.
Whether it's lending, title, house issues, complain, whatever it is. Yeah. You want to be that
person who is not surprised by the situation that when the situation does arise, you, you
already go, Hey, you know what, I was, I was in a class last month talking about this. I
totally understand that. I need to call so-and-so.
Cuz maybe they're the, the fact that you, you're trying to become as knowledgeable as you
can to obviously make your customers feel more comfortable. Because when you're not

stressed, if you're stressed out because you don't know how to handle a situation or you stop
answering phone calls, cuz you don't know how to answer a situation, I know agents will do
that.
They'll hide. Yeah. Absolutely. Hope, hopefully praying it will go away. But that you'll, that
you feel confident to tackle that situation, which gives confidence to your buyers or
Erica Harding: sellers. Absolutely. And I just always, you know, with anyone who I work
with, I want them to think like we are a team. I'm not in this for anything, but for [00:20:00]
your best outcome.
Mm-hmm. and that's really what I mean by that.
Tracy Hayes: so let's talk about that first year, your, your. I mean, do you bond with
someone over there at Keller Williams? Do you grab a mentor? What, what helps you? What
are, and just, I mean, kind of really tell us about your trials and tribulations. Cause I imagine
like any agent, there comes times where you're like, why am I doing this?
Right. There are
Erica Harding: definitely times like that. There are definitely times like that. and the first
year is so hard. I think the key to that is just really sticking to it. If you're, if you're gonna do
this full-time, you need to do this full-time, you need to live, breathe, eat real estate. and
obviously I'm a young mom, right?
Like, I have two kids now at the time. Mm-hmm. I had one. Mm-hmm. and so my biggest
thing is a, I wanna be there for everything for them, but I also have to figure out, you know,
my day to day, you know, how can I maximize everything? and. The question.
Tracy Hayes: Well, well, we're talking about that first year, but I'll, [00:21:00] I'll, I'm
gonna, I'm gonna, I'll do some subtitles off of that.
You just mentioned something, you, you have, you, how old's your child at this time? When
your first year? My first year. He was one, one years old. Mm-hmm. So how are you
juggling your time? Are you time blocking? I mean, there's certain, obviously things you
need to do. I dunno if you're still nursing, whatever those type of things that a, a mom with a
one-year-old is supposed to be, you know, the, the family chores that you're having to accom
take care of.
Oh yeah. Then else do, so how, how do you, how do you tackle that? So, pretty
Erica Harding: much time blocking for sure. And that's something that I kind of learned in
the Bold program. you know, Pretty much, I am a big fan of scheduling your emails out. So I
will type a lot of emails late at night and I schedule 'em for first thing in the morning.

Seems like I'm right on top of it from the outside perspective, but, you know, I typed it a
while ago. but one thing that I think was really important is, yes, time blocking. I take
advantage of all, all of my free time, you know, if I'm in the car line, my laptop's out, my
laptop's with me [00:22:00] everywhere.
Mm-hmm. I think you really do as a mom and a working person in the world, have to take
advantage of your free time, because when my kids are home, I wanna be in their lives. I, I
don't wanna be on the laptop, I don't wanna be on the phone. Now, of course, it's not a
perfect world. Mm-hmm. And that's not always reality.
Are my kids sometimes in the car late afternoon, you know? Mm-hmm. Going to a showing.
Yeah, absolutely. Mm-hmm. but that's okay. so really that first year you really. You're
figuring out your schedule time. Blocking's important. I think mornings are really great when
my kids are eating, you know, I'm trying to like do the things and take advantage
Tracy Hayes: of all of that.
Do you get up extra where you, is that something you like doing or, I do like any
Erica Harding: before they actually get up. I do, I do. and I'll, you know, if I get up early, I
try to turn on a little audiobook or a podcast and kind of get, you know, 30 minutes in when I
can. Mm-hmm. Even if it's just me switching over the laundry and listening to your podcast
or not your book.
Right. you know, I'm just trying to kinda get that in. but I think definitely time blocking. I, I
like to set around two hours a day for admin and just follow up admin, reaching out to
people,[00:23:00] posting on Facebook, posting on Instagram. I'm a big checklist person,
which I, I'm a little type A, a little ooc d so every morning I kind of have, my ial I also live
and die by, so everything is in my ial.
Literally, Everything eye, you know, drop the kids off my Apple calendar. Oh, do you have
one? You don't use your Apple calendar? I don't
Tracy Hayes: use my Apple
Erica Harding: calendar, no. Oh my gosh. So yeah, so if I showed you mine, you'd be like,
oh my gosh, mine is, is a little crazy. but I really do, I plan out everything. and as a mom and
as a working woman, I just have to so I kind of live and die by my eye cal.
Tracy Hayes: Well, Dick it cuz a lot of people are, are like, I don't know if afraid or, you
know, even though we listen to listen to podcasts, I tell you, if you time block, it'll free your
time up schedule, schedule your stuff and you'll have more time. And because we do have
the tendency to, you know, yeah, we're in there doing our postings or making our calls and
all of a sudden we end up.

instead of two hours, it becomes three and a half, four hours before we realizing then we
didn't get something else done that we could have [00:24:00] gotten done. Or that free time
that we would've opened up later in the day. Now we have to get on the laptop and do
something cuz we took two. We didn't really stick to that
Erica Harding: schedule.
Yeah. Time blocking. I mean, it's definitely, it's definitely tough. I like to do my first thing in
the morning, so if I'm dropping my kids off, I like to go right home. Mm-hmm. You know,
hopefully some of those emails that I scheduled out have gone out. Maybe the people have
responded. so I'm kind
Tracy Hayes: of, I got, I gotta, gotta gotta ask you though.
Sure. So if you write 'em late at night and don't send them at 11 o'clock at night or whatever
time you're doing it, I mean, what's the difference between that and sending it out at seven 30
in the morning?
Erica Harding: So well, okay, so I'll type it out, you know, 10 o'clock at night and then you
can schedule it for like 8:00 AM whatever.
Yeah. Now I just like to send it out in the morning. I feel like it's a, you know, I don't, if I'm
up late, I don't necessarily want, you know, everyone to know like, hey, she's up at 11 o'clock
sending emails. so that's kind of why I
Tracy Hayes: get, because they're res because they may respond. Some the other OCD yet
meeting, they're responding our way.
Now it balls back in your court and you haven't got out
Erica Harding: of bed yet. Yeah, no, I think it's nice to just send it out. Like I said,
[00:25:00] a lot of times when I get back from dropping my kids off, they've already
responded. Mm-hmm. So it's great. So it just kind of little systems like that. I also am a big
fan of email templates.
If I'm typing the same email 27 times, yes, I'm going to make it a template. So I use my notes
app. I have, you know, an offer template. I have a, you know, pre-closing template,
post-closing template. that way I'm just kind of clicking on that copy and paste, saving a lot
of time. Mm-hmm. I'm a big voice texter.
I text everything, you know, voice. so there's a lot of little time saving things that I've, you
know, kind of take advantage of. That maybe seem not that big of a deal, but in the scheme
of life, it actually has become a way to, you
Tracy Hayes: know, be more. Is that something, is that something you brought from the
previous employer or is that something you've learned now,

Erica Harding: now as a real estate?
No, so actually like the email templates and things like that, I, I listen to another real estate
podcast from, it's actually two girls up and I think they're in New Orleans. but anyways, I
listen to them quite frequently and they had mentioned one time about email templates and I
was like, what an idea.
Mm-hmm. You know, every time I'm typing an offer out, [00:26:00] I'm sitting here saying
the same thing over and over again. Another 10 minutes.
Tracy Hayes: Why you type it
Erica Harding: all out. Right? Yeah. So, that was something that I kind of learned and I've
really evolved from it. So now I have like an email template for like, literally anything, but it
saves me so much time.
Mm-hmm. And honestly, it becomes so much more professional because when you're in real
estate, you know, a lot of times you're typing emails on the fly. Right. You're just, you know,
in your car typing real quick. Well, this is always. Exactly what
Tracy Hayes: everyone needs. And if you aren't an English major and you aren't the, the
greatest at the spend of spend that time, use chat.
G p t create it. Oh, now it's review it, make sure that way the English is, is as best as looking.
Now it's a template, so when you send it out, you, it sounds good. You're not writing it every
time. Mm-hmm. And sounding a little different. Maybe misspelled different punctuation,
whatever. You're sending out something that's professional where you're just plugging in a
couple lines
Erica Harding: here and there.
Sure. And I do customize it, you know, like each offer is a little different. I'm not [00:27:00]
gonna say the exact same thing, like I'm a robot, but yeah, absolutely. Time saver. Mm-hmm.
and just little things like that that you can kind of, you know, systems that you can fill in for
your business, I think are just really key.
Tracy Hayes: All right. So we're, we're in that first year. Do you, do you team up with
somebody? Is there somebody that you shadow in that first year that really gets you going?
Helps you
Erica Harding: move along. So there wasn't anyone that I shadowed per se, but there were
definitely a lot of top agents within my brokerage. Mm-hmm.
that, you know, I was watching, you know, and, and trying to learn everything I could from,
people like Christine Welch, Sarah Rocco. Mm-hmm. You know, I mean there, just a wealth

of knowledge. so I definitely would try to take advantage of that, but I wouldn't say I
shadowed anyone per se. I, I kind of knew I didn't wanna be on a team mm-hmm.
Because I didn't wanna be locked down to that whole office hours and, you know, pre I
wanted to the regimen of what Yeah. I wanted to work for me. That was, that was why I
wanted into real estate. Right. So that to me was really important to be in control of my own
schedule. but I would say [00:28:00] definitely was influenced by a lot of agents within the
office.
Tracy Hayes: Do you remember anything particular that you've picked up? You're like, oh,
ah, that an aha moment, as I call it, right. That, that, you know, just watching and seeing
what some of these others were doing, you're like, oh, I gotta implement that in my business
right now. Did you pick up anything like
Erica Harding: that? I think just really, really being a part of your community.
Mm-hmm. and, you know, whatever neighborhood you're in or whatever community you're
in, whether that's, you know, your kids tee-ball or you know, your gym or whatever, to really
let everyone know like, Hey, I do real estate and I'm great at it. And I think that was
something that I really learned that, hey, you know, if you're walking around, you know, you
need to have a hat on.
This is. Realtor real estate. I love it. You know? and that was something that I was like, okay.
You know, I think at first, especially when you get into real estate, you're so nervous, right?
You're like, I don't know a lot, you know? And, and the truth is that's okay. You know, you
will learn as you go. but you really need to just let everyone know you're in real estate.
And I think that was something that, you [00:29:00] know, new agents especially, you know,
don't be shy. You're, you're don't be a, what do they call it? An undercover agent? yes.
Tracy Hayes: what was it? Yeah. Undercover. So I, I was just thinking it was, Jordan
Ferrera, I was asking her cuz she, her boys are all playing ball like yours and you know, I
asked her what she did and she said, I just wear a t-shirt.
I wear a t-shirt that says, you know, something about real estate. Yep. You know, I love being
a realtor or something. Whatever. Yep. Which I think, so if Corey, if you're listening to this,
she should buy all of your team a bunch of Yeah. Corey.
Erica Harding: Yeah. We need shirts. Bunch of wear. Cory's so great. He, he ha he
definitely keeps us, swag.
We got some swag. Yeah.
Tracy Hayes: well, but simple. Something simple like that. Like you said, you know, as mu,
much as it isn't as much it's been talked about on the podcast, you know, when you're, you

know, getting your community or you know, the T-ball team and sometimes it's a subtle way
people are so, oh, I don't want to be pushy.
No, you don't have to be pushy. Just wear the t-shirt. They will come ask you.
Erica Harding: Literally Yes. This weekend I was at the ballpark story of my life. And I had
a little [00:30:00] energy drink, which I like to drink. And I had my CUI on it. I have like a
slim can cui and it says, you know, to keep your drink cold and get your house sold.
And then it has my logo on it and it's so, you know, it was like a minimal investment.
Mm-hmm. But I use them all the time. And then, you know, anytime I have a closing, I'll
stick them in there. But literally so many, I mean, not so many, but a couple of people were
like, oh my gosh, that's the cutest cooi.
Do you have any extras? Like, I want one. Right. And then boom, you know, here are people
who are, I've never even worked with before, just genuinely wanting to,
Tracy Hayes: you know, cooi with a business card. Love it. Yep. And now they know you.
Hey, I'll even
Erica Harding: put a little beverage in there for you. Yes. Right. Like,
Tracy Hayes: here you go, I'll bring the cooler next time.
Sure. So, yeah.
Erica Harding: Yeah. So I think little things like that really do make a big difference. you
don't always have to be, here's a market report, here's this, here's that. Just literally being you
and being out there and being proud of what you do makes a huge difference. Yeah.
Tracy Hayes: Yeah. what are some, what are some of the, you know, the stresses?
I mean that you, and we don't have to necessarily pin this down to the first year, as I, you
know, like to hear some, what are some of the trials and tribulations that you had some tough
[00:31:00] times that you had to break through or find out how to overcome?
Erica Harding: Sure. So I think I. You know, like I said, my first year I, I had a one year old
and then I had my daughter Hayes a few years later, where my business was really grown.
and her first year she was born, she wasn't going to school or anything, so she was riding
along living the real estate life with me. Mm-hmm. and I kind of realized, you know, like,
okay, this is really hard to have two kids and be doing this all the time. And I think the
hardest part is really just time management.
and my biggest, the hardest part for me is not wanting to miss time with my kids. Mm-hmm.
So, you're doing all

Tracy Hayes: the things, but you want to, you want to make the income so you Right. You
know, do really great things with me. Sure,
Erica Harding: sure. And then, so that really is the hardest part for me. Mm-hmm. That was
really the hardest part, was figuring out my time management and honestly being okay with
not being there every once in a while.
The realistic is it's very hard to be at every game, and that's a lot of pressure to put on
yourself and things like that. So you have to know like, hey, Can this person, can I work
around this a little bit? Can I [00:32:00] not? You know, you have to decide in those times.
Like, hey, I, I just can't be there, you know?
And that's hard. And that really was the hard parts for me in the beginning. and also just, you
know, also not feeling competitive with other people. your head straight. Mm-hmm. Here I
am, I'm a young mom with two kids. Well, you know, you're looking on Instagram at
someone else who very comparable to you, but maybe doesn't have any kids.
So here they are out in the real estate world at 9:00 AM fully functioning with their hair done
and everything, and you're like on the couch with your kid. Like, oh my gosh. Right.
Tracy Hayes: You know, it's, are you missing something?
Erica Harding: Yeah. Right. You know, like, am I not, you know, doing every, and it's so
hard. It really is.
Mm-hmm. Especially with Instagram, you know, it's, it's everyone's highlight reel. And I
think that is super important to know that it is a highlight reel and you need to do you and do
what's important to you and your family and your goals and keep your head straight. Not on
a swivel. Don't be looking around, because you're, there's no secret sauce in real estate.
The secret sauce is you. Mm-hmm. You're the secret sauce. So [00:33:00] do everything that
you can do that is your personality that makes sense for your life and your timeline and
where you're at. Because everyone's on a different, we're all at different paces in life. Right.
And I think that's a real struggle with agents right now is that we're all so much on social
media.
And there's a lot of awards given out and things like that. and it can be really hard not to feel
like, oh, am I not doing good enough? You know, am I not as successful as I would like to be
at this point in my life? And, and the truth is that's just irrelevant, not important, and you
really just have to focus on you and what
Tracy Hayes: experience well, you know, and obviously from the loan officers side mean
we, we have similar things that Oh, sure, you what everyone else is doing, but the reality is
there's no points for, you know, You know, spending your entire, you know, 12, 15 hours a
day out going crazy.

There's no, like, I read something the other day or heard something, I can't remember. My
probably was an Instagram reel. Someone said, the only person that's gonna [00:34:00]
realize you worked late 20 years from now is your kids. Yeah. Yeah. and, and, and I don't
think you need to be, obviously we try to be at every game, but sometimes, often wonder,
you know, what, if I wasn't at the game, how would he, is he.
Would be just fine. Yeah. Yeah. Would he be just fine? Would he act different? Would he do
something different or, you know, there's, there's that growth thing. So sometimes, you know,
Hey, we can't make the game tonight. I've gotta go do a showing, and this is the third ball
game this week. Yeah. Right. And it's n 95 degrees out and he humidity.
Hey. Right. For sure. You know, you, but you oftentimes sometimes have to let 'em go out on
their own too. A little bit to notch up, be mommy can't be there all the time. Yeah.
Erica Harding: Yes. And I'm so, you know, luckily I have a great partner, so he's always,
you know, great about backing me up mm-hmm. And being supportive in those tough
moments or when I can't be there.
real, I'm, I'm glad that it actually doesn't happen that often. Yeah. I'm really great about, and
my customers are too. If I were to tell them, Hey, you know, my son has a ballgame that
morning, can we [00:35:00] meet, you know, at lunch or in the afternoon? Honestly, I'm so
lucky with most of my customers. Yeah.
They're genuinely so understanding. and so that's a great thing. Well,
Tracy Hayes: talk about that a little bit about, you know, six years in the business. And I
think one of the things that, you know, I, I've said numerous times on the show, like there's
some agents who can't even refer a good restaurant they just don't have control over their
transaction.
Hmm. And I know at Keller Williams, some of the people that you mentioned, there a few
minutes ago, I know them and how they like to control their transaction. How important do
you, do you feel it's important that, you know, when it comes to having, you know, whether
it's your lender, your, you know, obviously your home inspector, having those guys having a,
a really tight team.
You're, you're working together, you're not wearing the St. Keller Williams jersey, but you
are a team in the transaction. And how important is, or do you feel, maybe you don't feel it's
important. The real, the, the more control of the transaction, the more successful. and I think
at the end of the day, our goal is to [00:36:00] close, but obviously close with a smile and
everyone can, that they're gonna refer you.
Sure. You know what I'm saying? How important is it to have that control so the, the, the
transaction is gonna run smooth, that you are gonna get that person that's gonna leave that
nice Google review for you?

Erica Harding: Yeah, no, it's so important, honestly. And over the last, you know, five,
almost six years, I have definitely met with so many home inspectors, so many lenders,
insurance, you know, people who you make a lot of connections with.
Mm-hmm. And when you are going through a, you know, tough time in a transaction, makes
it so much easier for you to reach out to your insurance contact and be like, Hey, you know,
this roof is this old, is this going to be a problem? You know? Yep. And them being real with
you, so that you can be real with your customer, I feel like.
Yes, absolutely. as soon as I go under contract with someone, I have a, a. And even before
then, I send them vendor recommendations, and I let them choose. Mm-hmm. You know,
hey, I recommend, you know, so, so and so. But in all areas also great. for the most, I, I
mean, I might give them a little leading.
Mm-hmm. Especially for different personality types. I might feel work better with certain,
you know Right. People. but yeah. You know, absolutely. It makes a huge, huge [00:37:00]
difference. It's a team effort completely to get to the closing table, title lender, the whole nine
yards. It's a team effort. Well,
Tracy Hayes: I, so with your experience, how do you, you're, you're presenting the, you're,
you're feeling, you're, you know, you got a customer's ready, you know, they may, maybe
they've made the offer and you're waiting for the offer.
Right. Or the. Acceptance of the offer that you send, the, I assume that's when you're kind of
starting to warm them up, like, okay, let's get prepared. That's accepted. We need to order, we
need to get that home inspection done. Cuz if we're gonna close or there's only a short time,
or we got so many days to get that done, sure.
Who do you, let's start putting these people on dot, you know, on the calendar. Right. Or at
least, you know, getting 'em, on deck. So speak
Erica Harding: lined up. Absolutely. So a lot of times, when I have someone go in our
contract, you know, I'll have them kind of reach out or, you know, you can actually go online
mm-hmm.
These days and kind of look to see, you know, when would be the next home inspection we
could get into. so yeah, absolutely. I actually send out a sheet as soon as we go under
contract and it says, You know, the exact timeline. It says, Hey, we're under contract now.
You need to do a loan application, you need to schedule, [00:38:00] an inspection and you
need to reach out to insurance.
So that's kind of like bing banging, boom. I keep all the dates on there. There's
recommendations. It says

Tracy Hayes: reach out to. So you say a little something about each, you Oh, your do, here's
a couple home inspectors. Mm-hmm. Which one? I, I don't, I think people leave too much
out there to, I, I dunno what the phrase is, but too much out there for suggestion.
Erica Harding: Yeah. I actually give like two home inspectors. Yeah. And we see who can
get there the soonest and that's kind, you know, and also they're price range. Some are more,
you know, a little more pricey than others. Mm-hmm. So we're, you know, we're looking at
everything like that. But yeah,
Tracy Hayes: absolutely. But to be more from the standpoint, like, I know when I do
insurance, I don't, I don't say, I don't even mention that there's an option.
Although they, I can't control who they do insurance, as long as Right. Enough insurance is
provided. I immediately say, Hey, let's get a quote. Cause I think right away. The quote
comes in, most likely. You know, we know in Florida all these guys broker out insurance
State Farm can't write anybody's insurance, right?
For sure. here that they're gonna pretty much be all be getting the same thing no matter who
they go with, but, Insurance. [00:39:00] Yeah.
Erica Harding: Having that, I have one guy who I kind of recommend and then he kind of
outsources if,
Tracy Hayes: yeah. Well, you know, I say they, they have all the, you know, cuz Florida has
so many different homeowners insurance providers and who's gonna write the policy or not,
but, and then how old the roof is.
Right? Right. That falls into the factory. There's only a few in that category, but I think
people, you know, talk about insurance for those who not, don't realize, if you're a real estate
agent, done enough transaction. The loan officers, we see it all the time where, All of a
sudden closing is moved a couple days or, you know, something is adjusted on there.
And, you know, especially having to deal with the, a new construction builder I was working
with for three years that date. Sometimes it's, it, it moves at the last minute and you've got a
good insurance company, they're nimble and they're right on it. They're like, oh, it's gonna
take us a day to reschedule.
You know? Mm-hmm. No, they're, if you get that right insurance agent, you put 'em 15
minutes later, you get an updated quote
Erica Harding: in everything you need. Yeah. Yeah. That makes a huge, huge difference.
Yeah. And that is actually extremely important for, yeah, especially in Jacksonville. We have
a lot of older, [00:40:00] older homes.
We deal with a lot of storm damage and things like that, and it's just, it. Makes a big
difference to have a

Tracy Hayes: really good insurance. Yeah. Just having, having those, having those team
players, in, in your, in your pocket. But I, but I, I was going back, just suggestive selling here
are two people. Which one do you want to use?
This guy charges, this guy charges that. Here's the pluses and minuses of their service. Not
like, well here's two. Choose if you want to, if you wanna choose one on your own. No. If
they can, if they want, you know, if they call you back, say, Hey, I'd rather use this guy over
here. You can't really say much, but to suggest them, to lead them into your team, cuz you
know it's gonna,if there's anything gonna blow up, it makes a big difference.
Yeah.
Erica Harding: I mean, we've already worked together. We know personalities and I know I
can go to them, you know, with a quick text. Yeah. You know, and they're gonna
Tracy Hayes: respond to you completely. I think people, my perception is the consumer, our
clients don't understand that these vendors, and especially to a real estate agent who is, is,
you know, the.
The center of the whole transaction as far as the, the ultimate that we're really wanting to
please you and pleasing [00:41:00] by pleasing you, we're pleasing them. We want them to
be pleased, but ultimately you're the referral source. Right? Right. And so we're gonna go
above and beyond. We're gonna answer that call at eight o'clock at night versus the standard
consumer may is not necessarily gonna get that kind of attention depending on what the
situation is here.
Sure.
Erica Harding: Absolutely. Yeah. So it definitely helps as a buyer or a seller to have a, a
great agent in your pocket that is going to work hard for you, that networks and knows
everyone. Mm-hmm. that can be a huge benefit to you For sure.

[00:42:00]

Tracy Hayes: How important do you think is, you know, you, you were at the, Breakfast of
Breakfast of Champions at Landmark, how important it is for agents.
you know, obviously I see. I don't go to everything. There's obviously thousands of things
going on every day in Northeast Florida. Be possible. Yeah. but how important it is to, to
show up at some of those and meet some of the other agents or go to the NEFA training. Not,
you know, a lot of times they're doing it hybrid, especially after Covid, you know, and you
could sit in your house, but you don't actually, during the break or whatever, meet or see

some of these other agents and actually just shake hands and just get a face on 'em, you
know, and Oh yeah.
Type of thing. How important is that? I think it's
Erica Harding: huge because honestly, when I do go to events like that, I see people who
I've worked with and done deals with, you know, over at different brokerages who I've never
met before. Right. so then you see them and you're like, oh my gosh, I feel like I know you.
[00:43:00] and it's just so great because another coming from contribution, you know, is, is.
Bonding with other agents, they're sharing info, we are sharing info. and I think that's huge. I
think talking with other agents and networking, there's so many of us. Yeah. The
competition, you know, it's like, unless you're maybe in the same neighborhood as someone,
you know, maybe it's a dual.
I genuinely love to share information. If someone asks me to go to lunch, or coffee, you
know, I love, let's bounce ideas off of each other. Right. and I think it's just also important to
be posting that you're there, you know, you're there networking with other top agents, and
I'm posting that on my Instagram story.
People are seeing that I'm out there. and maybe they even know, you know, some people who
are my customer and maybe they know some of those agents. It kind of gives, just gives you
a little bit of more notoriety. and you're, you know, obviously it helps to be among top
agents.
Tracy Hayes: You never know. You never know who you, you know.
N need to call, right? You ne for whatever reason it may be, and all of a sudden that listing
pops up and you're like, oh my God, I've got the right homeowner.[00:44:00] the right buyer
they really want, that's the home they want. And, and to be able to call over there and have
that conversation, you know that, well, where the seller knows you has met you, they're like,
yeah, you know, hey, you know, give you some insight.
You know, you're gonna have to throw this. Throw the best out there, put an escalation.
Cause
Erica Harding: on there, even networking with side agents. Mm-hmm. and with new
construction, because I do sell a lot of new construction. A hundred percent. Yeah. being able
to shoot them a text and say, Hey, you know, do you have anything in this price range?
And, and, you know, what have you, and then them responding right away. Huge. Yep. So
doing, you know, all of the networking and there is a, a rhyme, you know, it's, it's not just
going for fun and having drinks, which is great and I do love that too. Mm-hmm. but it really
is making those connections because they can be very important.

Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Yeah. No, I, I remember when, when I was working on the lending side
with the large builder here in town, um, you know, I would say, Hey, you know, a knowing
inventory was low. Mm-hmm. Give me, I need the spec sheets cuz the builder was drag and
[00:45:00] tail. Oh yeah. It's like if they're not in the office, I, their marketing department for
them.
Right. So gimme the list of the spec sheets. Let me, let me, cuz now I'm adding value to the
agents out there by sending them out there and saying, Hey, just wanna let you know here's
some, you know, if you got any customers, sure. Yeah. But there's also. At non builder
business that I was doing, had the pre-approval, knew what price range they were able that
they had to be in or wanted to be anyway, whatever that box was.
And then say, oh, you know what, inventory's low. But you know what, there's this new
construction home over there with where they want to be payment wise and what they want.
That would actually work because there is a disconnect between the builder and what they
have available. They've gotten better in the last year because they're a little more, desperate
and entertaining.
The real estate realtors
Erica Harding: Yeah. Rates going up. Yeah. It has affected them for
Tracy Hayes: sure. Yeah. Now they gotta be a little more, you know, aggressive. We're
2020. They didn't even want you guys around.
Erica Harding: Yeah. They're like 21. Get an offer here and we'll see you later.
Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And, you're, you're a hundred percent right on the
site agent, you know, knowing that site to be able to [00:46:00] pick up the phone or that site
agent, if they're proactive, is constantly keeping reaching out to you, reaching out to you, say,
Hey, there's the spec houses that we got available right now.
Yep.
Erica Harding: Yeah. And that is
Tracy Hayes: huge. That is, that is that I, I think, The, the mindset in my, in my office at the
time was why would you Cuz we got paid more for a customer who was a non builder
customer. Right, gotcha. cuz the builder leads were basically, they were feeding the leads, so
we didn't get paid as much.
But if I made a relationship to the realtor and they're, they're sending me that people, we got
paid more for that. They're like, why would you, why would you lead them to a new
construction? when they're wanting to buy a nine, you get paid more. I said, well, because
I'm, my relationship is with that real estate agent.

That real estate agent, if I can hook them up and put that person in a home, that real estate
agent now is moving onto the next customer more. They're getting paid. I only got paid half
as much, but hopefully the next deal they're gonna, you know what I'm saying? They're
looking for me. Yeah. They're looking, they know I'm looking after them, from that
standpoint.
So, absolutely. It's, it's the long term relationship I was trying to explain to them. Yes, for
sure.
Erica Harding: There's a method [00:47:00] to the madness. Oh, for sure.
Tracy Hayes: Knowing what you know now, What three things would you tell you had a
friend of yours at one would, I imagine you probably do, you're a young person, you
probably have a lot of friends that are asking you, Hey, what about real estate?
Mm-hmm. What are a few things you
Erica Harding: tell 'em? I think I would tell them if there were three things, the first thing is
that you have to do it full-time. I think with life right now, you know, people can tell when
you're, you know, posting once a week or are you posting once a day? You know? I think
you kind of have to give it your all.
That's the first thing. be ready to go in it full-time and give it your all. Because to build a
successful business, you really do need to be in it to win it all the time and live and breathe
real estate. When you're, especially when you're beginning. Mm-hmm. For sure. Sure. You
know, you can get a little bit, you know, even hand, you know, someone else's was you
starting to get in the groove?
Sure. Yeah. Yeah. and then the second thing I would say is get rid of all of the negativity.
Tune out negativity. I think there's so much limiting beliefs we're all, so, [00:48:00] you
know, in the beginning especially you feel like I don't have a lot of, experience or I don't
know a lot about this market or, you know, the town, maybe I'm not from here.
really just putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, knowing that, hey, I don't know
anything, but I'm willing to learn. I'm gonna do everything I can to learn as much as I can.
I'm gonna give it everything I have and be in it every day. and I'm not going to be affected by
any of the negativity.
And when I say negativity, I mean you hear a lot in real estate, right? People are constantly
coming to me saying, oh, how's the market? It looks like, you know, garbage, and it's
adorable, and, you know, everything's on fire. And yeah, in some areas I think there are, but I
always tell people, I'm like, you can't listen to that.
We are such a niche market here in North Florida. Mm-hmm. That some of that is not really
relevant. So you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt. And as a new agent, you really

have to be strong enough to tell people that. Mm-hmm. And to not let them, you know, make
you feel small. You know, like, oh my gosh, maybe the market is terrible.
and then my third thing I think would be is [00:49:00] whatever your thing is, taking
advantage of that and letting everyone know that you are in real estate. You're loud and
proud in the best way possible without, you know, being, without being, you know, too, too
much. You know, be proud without wrapping your car.
Hey, if that's your thing. I, I also say it, one thing I love about real estate is that everyone
runs their businesses so different. And everyone's so successful in their own way. And I think
that's so interesting. You know, some people, they're like, I would never put my name on my
car. You know, like, what have you.
But some people, they're like, oh my gosh, I put my name in my car and I get a ton of
business from it and it's great. And hey, if that's you, I think that's great. you are loving
pickleball and you're playing pickleball every day and like that's how you're getting business,
that's great too. I, you know, everyone has their own thing.
Right. and I just think that's one of the best parts about being in real estate is that, you know,
you have your ability to create your own path and really your own real way to success with
no limit.
Tracy Hayes: Yeah. Well the second thing you were talking about there, like the, the, the,
the [00:50:00] negativity part and. not to say that there's no negativity in our world that we
have to actually, realize is out there.
Or, you know, like right now obviously, what are challenges at real estate? Heavens right
now, inventory. Well, you can make that negative. I mean, sure. That's these, oh, I don't have
enough homes to sell. Well, the homes that, that, that just puts a lot more demand on the
homes that are, are, are, are existing and, and then in any business, the positive spent that's
going to weed out the part-timers, so to speak, to just use that as a broad term.
The people who aren't really dedicated in, they're, it's gonna move them out because now
where only doing, you know, three or four transactions a year, men, now they're down to one
or two, and now they're like, eh, you know, now they're too busy. Whatever they were doing
with all the other time they had that time now is, you know, if it was watching, social media
is now expanded, right?
Because then their negativity is like, oh, there's not a lot of Helens to sell out there, so let me
just stay on Facebook a little while longer, or whatever they were doing. And hey, if
Erica Harding: you're gonna be on Facebook, you know, make it worth your while. I hope
you're, you know, [00:51:00] commenting on people's posts and hey, posting something on
your own.

I'm a big advocate for Facebook. I think there's so many different generations on Facebook,
whereas like Instagram, you know, you know, you got your younger crowd, maybe a little
older crowd, but you're also missing a lot of people. so I think Facebook is great for that.
And I do have a Facebook page, a Facebook business page and you know, my own separate
Instagram page, right?
but I think, you know, the biggest thing that you can do. As a new agent, and what I kind of
think is the most important is just, you know, tuning out negativity and really focusing in
honing in on what is the best, you know, what, what do you have to offer, what is your secret
sauce? and expanding on that and growing your business through that way.
Touching your crowd of people, from a genuine standpoint.
Tracy Hayes: And if you were to go back and do it again, start, start over, like ground zero,
January 1st, but knowing what you know now, is there any things that you would've done
initially, especially like right away, to. Get the ball rolling. Cause I, I really feel our
[00:52:00] business is, over time, you know, you're a good real estate agent.
Maybe you start off hot or whatever. Maybe you're just a, a gradual riser, but the longer you
stay in it and keep doing the consistency of social media posts, et cetera, your business is
going to grow. It just, you can't stop it from doing it how fast, organically, literally, how
you're connected. But if you're consistent in keeping those things going.
So, looking back, is there any, anything, any, any. Course that you would've took. And I, and
I kind of lead this in because I did have Krista Maho who's a national coach on, she's so great
on the last episode and I was listening to her stuff and I'm like, man, if I was a real estate
agent, that would, I, I would plug right into her system that she's basically created.
Cuz I mean, either it's either it's really good or she just knows how to sell it really well. But it
made a lot of sense to me and she really was covering the abs and Cs from a marketing of
what your marketing standpoint if, but for you, looking back now, six years, you had, your
sister was [00:53:00] becoming a real estate agent, how would you pour into her, say, Hey,
this is what you need to do right now?
Erica Harding: I think what I would say, what you really need to do is a, join a brokerage
where you're gonna get a ton of training and support because that's super important. But b, I
think the thing that I would do is put yourself out there right away, you know, at first until I
really did . The Bold program. I didn't have, I wasn't posting on my Instagram about real
estate.
You know, I was kind of posting on the Facebook and I kind of kept my Instagram personal,
but you can't do that. You need to be in it to win it and really be posting. and like I said, you
know, even when you're not busy, hey, host an open house. go open a vacant listing that's
beautiful in the area that you're trying to sell a home in.

Show people, Hey, I'm showing this property today. whether, you know, you're looking busy
to them or maybe they're interested in the property, you just never know who's seeing it.
Mm-hmm. so I think really just totally infiltrating yourself in the business and even when
you're not busy, know, creating something
Tracy Hayes: that you can get.
I'm gonna, I, two questions off of that statement. I'm gonna write it down cause I know I'll
forget one. Sure. [00:54:00] I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna write down the
Instagram here in a second. y you grew up in the area, you went to high school here, spent
most of your college here. now started your family here.
Then you started in the real estate, how did you initially, and then what do you still do as far
as your friends and family and even, you know, I call, you know, I think there's friends.
There's friends that are a little closer, and there's associates, right? People who know you and
you, you interact, interact with or whatever.
You see 'em at the ball field. I would call all those other, other parents, whatever, associates,
unless you're actually breaking bread with them or something. But what do you do to make
sure they're hearing Erica's in real estate on a regular basis?
Erica Harding: Well, most people follow me on Instagram, so if you do, you'll know you'll,
I'm, I'm on their Instagram stories every day.
Morning, noon at night. Some people probably find that annoying, but, you know, hey, I am
who I am. so I am constantly [00:55:00] posting on Instagram. I'm in real estate. This is my
latest closing, this is what I'm doing today. I'm showing this property. I'm out to lunch with,
you know, this person. I also like to make it fun.
I like to post things about Jacksonville. You know, this is coming to the St. Johns County
area. This is coming, you know, to the beach. I just tried this new restaurant, you know, you
gotta go check it out. Mm-hmm. just little things that you do every day make a really big
difference. and I feel like as you know, some people don't like to post when they win an
award or what have you.
It seems like, you know, hey, you're a little braggy. but the truth is for every person that
thinks you're bragging, there's someone who's like, wow, that's super impressive. And I'm
definitely gonna reach out to her next time. You know, I have a real estate transaction that I
need to
Tracy Hayes: handle. in.
Instagram to Facebook. Cuz you said you like Facebook. I mean I, I do

Erica Harding: like Facebook. I'm not on there as much, but I have pretty much everything
that I post to Instagram. Unless it's like something truly like personal. So you feel your
circle, I guess
Tracy Hayes: my Facebook page. Your circle's. Instagram. So my Instagram question was
from the previous statements with is tell us about, you know, when you're thinking about
what you're posting, cuz [00:56:00] you just, you rattled off a lot of things.
Sorry. I mean No, no. Which, I mean it's funny cause all the, but to someone, you're
explaining to him why Instagram, you've chosen Instagram, you're focused on that platform,
which I think that's actually something Kristen Ashore said. Whatever social media platform
has become, you know, an expert at that, your main one.

Tracy Hayes: cause obviously you can cross posts with Facebook easily and all that stuff,
but, if Instagram's your fa so when you're, you're doing a, The, I guess the, in Instagram
there's a difference of doing the reel versus the just a photograph basically. Or some sort of,
Hey, I won an award po you know, post.
Sure. And then now I guess they have the, what do they call, where you actually post like up
to nine, like photos. Mm-hmm. And they can The carousel. The carousel. That's the truth.
Yeah. Curious how, what do you, do you have any sort of mindset like, Hey, when I'm at the
ball game, the little league, I'm gonna do stills or I'm gonna do video.
Do you even like, even break it down to that?
Erica Harding: I literally live in the moment. I'm a creative [00:57:00] Pisces and I, I, you
know, I, I, and a lot of things I post, I post after, right? So if I've been doing showings and all
of that, I'm not sitting here while I'm there, which I feel like is important for people to know.
I'm, you know, if I'm showing new construction or what have you, I'm taking pictures and
video, you know, kind of low key. and then I post it later, you know, so everything you do,
you're super in the moment with, but you have content for later. Mm-hmm. but I do think
there's, I don't really follow like a rhyme or reason, you know, with how I post.
It's really creatively what do I think is not necessarily for T-ball, but for real estate, you
know, what's going to be the most effective. You know what a, if I put this picture up, I'm
gonna do a poll, Hey, did you like this white countertop or this gray countertop? You know,
just kind of helping my lag them helping out, get some people interacting and people love
that kind of thing.
Mm-hmm. I'll be like, you know, asking a simple question like, would you rather have a
preserved lot or a lake lot? I'll have like a hundred plus votes on, you know, that. Yeah,
[00:58:00] it seems minor, but yeah. And also helps me learn about people and things like

that. So, every situation is different. I actually just started venturing into reels, which I'm
probably behind on probably like six months ago.
Mm-hmm. so I definitely do try to venture into that. And something I learned at the
Breakfast of Champions was how videos are, working while you're not. Right. So here we
are as realtors, we're just, you know, bending over backwards, just driving all over town,
working all the time. Well, videos are a great way, reels, especially for you to create
something, it honestly, you know, use a template, bing, bing, boom, pop 'em in.
you've got a great little reel that people can always find you by, even when it's the middle of
the night, even when you're outta town. Yeah. and I'm saying that because I do a lot of like
new construction reels. You know, here's the model over in Naat newest community. take a
look at this. People love looking at brand new homes.
They love looking at. New construction and even just homes in general. Right? Obviously if
it's a resale home, I'm not gonna probably put a reel up about it because someone might live
there. but just making it fun and creative, I think is a, a great way to get people, [00:59:00]
you know. Are you watching, are
Tracy Hayes: you doing anything on YouTube?
I find most agents are not, for some
Erica Harding: reason, I don't, I'm not on YouTube. mostly because I just have never had
the time to really like, dive into all of the YouTube. I know that, I know a lot of other agents
who do YouTube and they see a lot of success with it, but I've just never, I'm not a YouTuber.
I know there's a lot of people who are just on YouTube all the time watching it. Mm-hmm.
And I just, I, I never got into it. Well,
Tracy Hayes: if, if you're, think, and I, and I may be wrong, it's my perception, but. The
Instagrams in the Facebook primarily are feeding people who are already, you know, in your
circle of who are friends or friends of your friends.
Now, some of them may look at of state, but I, I'm always thinking that, you know, from a
real estate agent standpoint, and I think Kristen Ashore kind of tips on this cuz she does a lot
with Josh Rogers, I think probably took a lot of his ideas from what she does cuz she's with
EXP two, is when someone's searching, they're searching things.
And a lot of times we just go on Instagram and we just start scrolling. Now [01:00:00]
granted it knows when we stop start watching a certain video, it'll start more of them popping
up. It'll start popping. You know, more of that, that type will start popping up. But I always
visualize, like for a real estate agent, To, you know, even take your reels that you're shooting
for Instagram, you can post those in YouTube shorts, you know, less than 60 seconds.

Sure. Post and now. And, but the key thing is the title, and that's where I noticed, I, I have, I,
I paid a few hundred bucks for a guy to kind of coach me for a couple months on, on what it
is about YouTube as far as, how do you get hits. Of course, a lot of these guys are
YouTubers, which I'd love to get paid by YouTube.
I wish some of the videos went viral. Call me. But yeah. but I noticed like even the full
length, shows where I, I go almost every of the 146, I've probably got 130 of them actually
full length. On the, on the, thing. Those are slowly getting clicks because I guarantee you
someone is searching them and that YouTube video is pulling up and whether they're just
watching a couple minutes or watching the whole thing, whatever, they're, they're getting
hits.
Same thing with [01:01:00] the audio podcast too. Yes. You're Googling someone's
searching, you, it's popping up. Someone's going back or maybe first learns about the show,
but they go back to CC Underwood two years ago and they listen to that episode. Sure. So I
feel YouTube is more of that searchable mechanism and to cross post.
Cuz when I, the reels I cut from this show. They're gonna go on Instagram, they're gonna go
on Facebook, and they're, to me, they're, they're up for life on YouTube. They are technically
up for life on Instagram, but they're, after a while they. Sure. They kind of go out the
wayside. Yeah. Yeah. But if I go in there and change that title, I can, you know, redo it in
YouTube and change the title cuz it's, it's great.
It's a totally search thing. So, yeah. You know, especially like you're in that neighborhood.
I'm in Beacon Lakes new construction, whatever model that's on there, who knows, you
know, until Beacon Lakes is sold out. But you never know, someone may actually go and
have that model 10 years from now and go, what was that model?
All of a sudden your video's popping up. Yep. Talking about when that [01:02:00] house was
actually being built. You know, cuz it's a search link. That's my, that's my vision of, it's also
Erica Harding: great just for sharing, you know, if I tag, you know, do a video for ICI and
then they, you know, re-share it, it's like, oh my gosh, here I have all these people who are
interested in ICI home, seeing my video and sharing it, which is just huge.
You know,
Tracy Hayes: I, I, I don't understand why I do a lot on my desktop because I got the video
already on my, you know. Mm-hmm. thing. And, Instagram doesn't allow you to collaborate.
When from the desktop, it only lets you do it from the phone. I don't understand why. One,
one of their funny little Yeah. One of tools, one of their, the, and that's the, that's the thing.
Col put a collaborator on there and if the collaborator Yeah, yeah. It opens
Erica Harding: up. You share it and yeah. It would be nice. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred

Tracy Hayes: percent. alright. Right, let's, let's, we'll roll downhill here. Why Engel and
Volkers? Why the change? What, what'd you, did Corey put some romantic stone out?
I mean, what,
Erica Harding: not at all. Not at all. And I, I love Corey. He's amazing. He's a great broker.
Mm-hmm. but yeah, so it's actually kind of [01:03:00] a, not a funny story, but, so I don't, I
don't know, maybe a year and a half ago now, a year ago, I was, I, you know, you're always
kind of approached by different brokerages and things like that, but I actually kind of
entertained one for a little while.
Another bigger brokerage in town. And I, I talked with them
Tracy Hayes: pretty good. Did you feel, well, I mean, did you feel you basically ran your
game at Keller Williams that they weren't adding any value to you? Because that's a Sarah
Rocko No. The adding value at the point where she Yes, absolutely.
Erica Harding: I never felt like that.
Okay. And to be honest, you'll never hear me say something bad about Keller Williams
because I really don't have anything bad to say about Keller Williams. Well,
Tracy Hayes: not that that's bad, it's just No, I think there comes a point where
Erica Harding: value's important. Yeah, absolutely. You've gotta continue to grow. You are
paying them, you know, a certain amount.
So yeah. You do need to be getting some value. Mm-hmm. but absolutely, so, so what led me
to ING England Bokers was I had, you know, I was having some brokerages reach out to me.
and to be honest, I was not looking to make a move by any means. and I told them that, well,
one of them kind of broke through a little bit to me, and he was like, you know, kind of
laying things out there.
[01:04:00] And I was like, It wasn't the right fit, but it kind of opened my brain. The wheels
were turning a little bit like, well, maybe I do need to like, make a change. in Eagle Volkers.
You know, I had been following them on social media. It was something that I was definitely
aware of and honestly it was a goal of mine.
Mm-hmm. it was definitely something that I looked at like, Hey, you know, this brand really
aligns with what I would like my brand to be. so let's see maybe what they have to offer. But
I didn't, you know, I was kind of just letting things happen organically. and long story short, I
was connected through another agent to Corey, because they thought that I would be a really
good fit for England Vulgar.
Mm-hmm. And so I chatted with him. And especially as a single agent who's kind of a, you
know, a top producer, there's a lot that they offer in our office, marketing and things like that,

that really make a lot of sense, that are huge time savers for me. they're in-house marketing,
you know, they, they do a lot of email things for us.
They send out postcards. So when you're functioning like me as someone who's kind of
running your own show, and I do have, you know, a marketing girl who helps me with
certain things. Mm-hmm. it just like made a lot of sense. [01:05:00] And so here it was from
the outside there, it's built-in,
Tracy Hayes: assistant built
Erica Harding: in to Absolutely.
Yeah. And if you need transaction coordination, you know, what have you, they have it there
for you. Mm-hmm. they also operate on a concierge service. You know, my biggest thing is
even if I'm selling you a multimillion dollar home, or it's your first townhome, you know,
That is amazing and I'm so proud of you and I treat everyone the same.
You know? And that's what I love about Eagle Volkers is it's that concierge service. You
know, with Keller Williams, a lot of it is new agents. They're coming in and they're training,
and I loved being able to help new agents while I was there and be on a panel and share my,
you know, info. Mm-hmm. But what I really found so great about England Volkers was that
there are so many top agents there that I genuinely looked up to before I even got into real
estate.
That, you know, had made the move over there and I was like, I wanna be among them. I
wanna learn from them. and that's really what brought me You mentioned, uh, and Corey and
the staff there are just the icing on the cake because they are truly a
Tracy Hayes: great, well, I think he gets it. Oh, totally.
Everything you just said, was a great [01:06:00] description, I think of, of what I envisioned
after talking to him and talking to many of the other, ages that have come on from England,
Volkers. and then really actually, I mean, I, I actually sat down for three days and took that
Kristen Maho, her, her webinar that she was doing.
Mm-hmm. Which sells her, sells you into her coaching right. At, at a higher level. But it
really gave me a full, a little more grasp of what's going on and when you have made it
through your, your sales and now you kind of figured out, okay, this is how a contract's done
and so forth, what's the next level?
Right? Next level is to pour in as many buyers and sellers that you can, and how do you do
that? And, and those are the experts that you want to hang around. And this, like you're
saying, his support, the, the things he has built in. I think, in, in our bus, in the, in the
mortgage, business, a lot of companies are totally lost on this is the top mortgage loan
officers want an assistant.

They're out there getting the deal. They may take the initial application. Okay, he, here's the
prequel, we got a good deal. You know, send me your [01:07:00] docs. Send me your docs.
Means it's going to an assistant, right? Who's taking that? Because that loan officer should be
out there. Same thing with the real estate agent.
You're out there making sure you're at your kid's ballgame cuz you are wearing your right,
your, I'm still swag. You're still swaging in out your cozzies, right? Yep. That's still part of
the deal cuz you're only as good as the last deal you did and you gotta keep feeding the pipe.
Feeding the pipe.
Absolutely. And I think, Corey understands that and the more he can of that. Sending out
postcards and that may take hours of time from you. It's so time consuming and, and
especially you by yourself, and you're only doing it once every quarter or whatever. They're
doing it
Erica Harding: every day. I literally wasn't doing them at all.
I mean, when he was, you know, when I interviewed with him and he was telling me what
they do, I was like, oh my gosh, this is gonna be amazing. Mm-hmm. You know, and it just,
so much of it made sense and as much as I know that, you know, Keller Williams didn't
wanna lose me, this just made so much sense. And it, and it wasn't anything personal.
There was nothing that happened because, you know, when I left, so many agents reached
out to me like, Nothing happened, it was just strictly a growth thing for [01:08:00] me.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And, and really a branding thing for where I want my business to be
in five, 10
Tracy Hayes: years. Explain that. Cause you mentioned that earlier, you said either your
way, you visioned your business and their branding was something that caught your eye.
Sure.
Erica Harding: Yeah. So, you know, I do. I I helped so many first time home buyers, which
I absolutely love. They're amazing. And they're my, they're my favorite. But, I, I definitely
do, I sell a lot of oceanfront luxury real estate. which, you know, being a part of Eagle and
Volkers is huge for that because a, I have Corey there, surrounded by a lot of other agents
who are doing the same thing.
and that is a huge difference maker. You know, if, if I am doing this kind of transactions, you
know, I wanna be around people who are doing the same thing. and that was huge for me.
You know, I kind of felt like. for that reason, I needed to make a move. Yeah. So that I could
grow in the, into that direction as much as possible.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, why not? And I don't love the first time home buyers cuz I, they're, I treat
them the exact same as I treat the luxury. but that's kind of where I would like my business to
grow to. And so that's kind of where I was

Tracy Hayes: looking at. Yeah. And I, I mean, I [01:09:00] would think anyone, anyone in
the business, you know, they wanna move, you wanna make more money, we'll move up the,
the price tag.
Obviously stereotypically the first time home buyer is a, you know, now it's a sub 300,000
probably. Well in, you know, some are stretching out or are lucky enough to, you know,
maybe 400,000, but, You know, it's business. It's, it's not that you don't like them, you always
are going except first time home buyers.
But you're gonna, you market to the larger ticket because you're, you're moving your, your
game up or market all the way across the board. I mean, I don't, I don't think there's anything
different, but the, what I want to get back to that, that's a valid statement. I mean, anyone
don't feel ashamed by that, by any way, cuz any, anyone would run their business that way.

Erica Harding: God and I do think that luxury is a service, not necessarily a price point.
Mm-hmm. Do I want to build, you know, to be a, a more luxury oriented agent? Absolutely.
But I believe luxury is a service and not a price point. And that is, So important to me.
Tracy Hayes: I like that. Yeah. I like that luxury. You're, you're, you are.
I, I I really, the, the top agents, I [01:10:00] think I'm gonna think of Shelby for Lorenz from
Compass. Mm-hmm. you guys could be sisters. I think a couple little good, I, I titled her
show, the concierge agent, I think is what I called it. And because she was the one who really
basically said you, that's what she, she's out there, she makes reservations cuz she totally
caters to this, you know, high.
She makes reservations and standing reservations at these top restaurants. Yeah. So when her
client said, I said, oh, you guys are looking for a place to go, I recommend over, I already got
a reservation for you. Just going over, you know, she didn't say she was buying 'em dinner,
but she made the reservation to make sure they could have, they could get in there.
Oh yeah. And, and that's where I says you're, you're concierge. And, talking with,Lisa with,
Keller Williams luxury out at the, who was in my
Erica Harding: bold group, Lisa Pruit? No.
Tracy Hayes: Okay. Lisa? I'm looking at Lisa prior. Oh, okay. Lisa Bar, I the kid finding the
Yeah. Lisa runs the luxury division out in the, at POF Vira.
Oh yeah. Yeah. And, and, she was talking about like, you know, she goes into these big
luxury homes and a lot of times people will walk in and say, oh yeah, but I, I'd really like to
redo the kitchen. She's got someone on speed [01:11:00] dial and that contractor's in there.
She's got a, she's within a reasonable period of time.

She's got numbers. Yep. And because that's the service you should, every agent I think,
should have that available. obviously the first time home buyer's not likely to go in there and
do that, but if you're showing existing homes,
Erica Harding: you gonna, well, even yesterday, for instance, I was showing a new con, a
new construction home.
These people actually just went under contract. It's a quick move-in, so they're not able to
really make any changes on it. Mm-hmm. Well, the, you know, father-in-law's, elderly, and
it's a, you know, tub shower combo. They asked me, Hey, you know, when we move in, we
really need to have this taken out and made it you into a glass shower that he could walk
into.
Mm-hmm. I have someone you can call right now so that they can start as soon as you close.
so little things like that make a big difference. Hundred
Tracy Hayes: hundred percent. Me and my wife, we just, well, she was handing a, a rental
and the people were willing to pay for it. Elderly, elderly gentlemen.
Unfortunately, he's, you know, he's, he's lived a good life. He's on his, his last month as far as
they, they were concerned, but they needed to do just that. They needed to take the shower
doors off so he could get in there. And to have somebody to be able to come right [01:12:00]
over. They paid for it. They took it all down and got it, got it.
Settle. But that is reality. And you should have those people regularly, but, and if you don't
have 'em on
Erica Harding: your issue, so much more of a realtor. Yes. You know, than just a realtor to
that person. And I feel like that is, What I, you know, when we're done with our transaction,
like, I wanna stay in touch, I wanna be friends on Facebook.
Like, I wanna know what your kids are doing and what you did to your house. Mm-hmm.
After we closed. and just like concierge service also, like, you know, for instance, I had
someone fly in town the other day, they're looking to relocate here. When they got to the
hotel, I had a little bag for them. It had, you know, Peter book chocolate.
Mm-hmm. And you know, here's my buyer's guide and here's, some bottles of water and, you
know, can't wait to meet you. Yeah. Yeah. and little things like that make such a huge
difference. They share it on their Instagram, like how sweet this was. Yeah. And that's not
why I do it a percent. Yeah. But it makes a big difference and it takes you to that next level.
Tracy Hayes: I think we, if you sit down and like I said, you went through a building
transaction before you got into real estate, so you saw a little bit of what that was like on the
other side. now you know, a lot more. [01:13:00] Yeah, yeah, for sure. type of thing. But put
yourselves in, in their shoes. And I always, I always think, I don't know if it was some of the

John Maxwell stuff is just, you know, they're stressed out or they just got off the plane,
they're tired and who knows?
They, they're probably arguing over where, what type of house they want. You don't know.
Oh yeah. We all do it. Right. We all, I, and if you could put a smile on their face for that,
that, because I think that, I think everyone remembers you through an emotional response,
whether it's laughter, smile, or if you ticked them off, they're gonna remember you.
Right, completely. Yeah.
Erica Harding: Yeah. So if you can make things just a little bit sweeter and a little bit better
for them, then I feel like, you know, that's, What, that's what I love the most about being at
barter, the, of the transaction really.
Tracy Hayes: What do you think you've learned the most about yourself since you've been a
real estate agent?
Erica Harding: this is a tough one, but, you know, I think the thing that I've learned the
most is that, like I said, I'm very type a O C d I, I'm a high achiever. I love doing and, and
being busy. and I think what I've really had to learn is that it's [01:14:00] okay to not do all
the things and be all the places. And you don't always have to be the highest achiever
because like, as long as you are where you wanna be and everything is good for you and
comfortable, and you can go and do, you know, with your family or on vacation or with your
friends, like that is what's so important.
And to me that's, that's all that matters. and I've really had to take, you know, a look at
myself like, Hey, you can't do everything right if you don't get down your entire to-do lists.
And you did two things. Like that was your a hundred percent for the day. Like that's what
you did. And that's okay. and I heard that the other day.
It was like, even if you only, you know, did two out of the 10 things you wanted to do, like
that was your a hundred percent for that day. Mm-hmm. And that's okay. and so that's really
what I've had to, you know, get through, is just it's okay to take some time off and you don't
need to be, you know, all, you don't have
Tracy Hayes: to be number one.
Yes. Yeah. I mean, I think we grow as a young competitive people. We want to be num, you
know, we want to be, we want to be the best cause we're trying to please mom [01:15:00] and
dad or whatever it is. Right. We're the, the ego part of it. But as you get older than you come
to realize Yeah. There is somebody in your office doing more deals than you.
Yeah. Okay. And that's okay. Maybe I'll go call 'em and ask 'em how they're doing it. And the
question is, do I want to do what they're doing to get there because I, there's something,
either they've been doing it longer and obviously have a bunch bigger. You know, probably a
combination of things Past customer.

Yeah, yeah. There's, you, you, your, your, your self, your soup that you're made up of and
what they're made up of is totally two different things. You just happen to be crossing the
same path at the Inel volker's office now, right? Yeah, absolutely. And you don't know, you
know, where they, where they come from and there's no doubt there's some people that are
naturally better than others, at certain things.
But, but the bottom line is, yeah. Are you, are you and your family where you want to be?
Right. And. and it's not, and by saying that, you're also not saying, well, I'm not gonna be,
I'm still not giving up on my competitiveness. I still want to be better. I'm not gonna just sit
back and say, well, I'm here and [01:16:00] this is where you still are trying to improve every
day.
Sure. Yeah.
Erica Harding: And actually when I was, being interviewed by the, the one brokerage that I
said, I actually didn't end up going to, but they got my wheels turning. Mm-hmm. when he
was asking me, you know, like, what are your goals? Like, who, you know, what, what's
something that you align with? And I, he was like, oh, so your goal isn't world domination?
And I was like, no, it's not. I was like, not right now anyways. Right. But, you know what I
mean? So it's like this, I feel like, you know, everyone's business, like I said, it's ran so
differently. Everything is I everyone. Going through different times in life. and just really
staying focused on, you know, you and your goals, and your customers and being the best
that you can be for them is truly the most important thing.
And the only thing that matters to me,
Tracy Hayes: it's the process. Mm-hmm. You have to be in love with the process. The
money will come at the end, the success will come at the end. If your thing is world
domination and what, so what time are you putting on that? Are you putting world
domination over my 70 years of life?
Right. Or are you putting world domination over the next seven months while you're
probably going to have, [01:17:00] kind of be heartbroken in seven months? Right. Yeah,
Erica Harding: exactly. Yeah. So, yeah, so I just think that, of have to keep things realistic
and always just focus on your own personal goals and your career and your
Tracy Hayes: business.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna kind of finish up on this one here, Mar, from a standpoint of marketing,
what do you feel, and we talked a little bit about social media, but what is your go-to? what
do you, what do you feel is like, cause I, I feel every agent they find whatever it is from
marketing, that's their, that what they love to do, what they like doing.

And obviously Well, you don't like doing it. Well, it obviously works, right? Sure. I mean,
you could love doing a lot of things. you know, I'm waiting for this podcast to tip somewhere
along the line, but it hasn't happened. I'm gonna stick with it. Yeah. But, but, you love what,
you love what you do and you're passionate about it, but obviously it's, it's paying the bills at
the other end, right?
It's producing. Is there something, is there one thing that you could, or thing that you're doing
that you could say is your go-to marketing?
Erica Harding: I feel like I'm pretty heavy on the Instagram stories. Mm-hmm. That's, and,
and a million [01:18:00] different ways. I'm just always. Posting on Instagram stories. and I
think that's kind of my niche.
I have over 2,500 followers on Instagram. You know, probably over 500 of them plus a day
are looking at my Instagram
Tracy Hayes: stories, friends, families, past customers, all of the, of that, hopefully future
customers cuz they're friends of those
Erica Harding: friends. I've, I mean, I have people who, you know, my page is, open so
anyone can follow me and I'll, you know, kind of notice like some new people watching my
stories.
And then, you know, two weeks later I get a message, Hey Erika, we're locating from, you
know, New Jersey. Mm-hmm. And we've seen your post and we, you know, think that like,
we might like to work with you. And you're just building that rapport with people who you
may not even know, right. Are. Watching.
Tracy Hayes: well, you don't know who your friends know.
Right? You, you're friends. Totally. You know them, but you don't know. Yeah. Hey, they,
because we know a lot of people were from out of state. Mm-hmm. Who they know. Oh
yeah. And where their circles go, whether it was from work or from where they used to live.
Now they're, they're, they're following me. Yeah.
Instagram storing you up as a suggestion cuz you're friends with so-and-so, so [01:19:00]
you might wanna be friends with this person.
Erica Harding: Yeah. Actually it's funny you say that because I have a girlfriend of mine,
we went down to Orlando the other day. We ended up having lunch with her aunt and she's
an agent down there and she's like, yeah, I've been following you for years.
Oh, sorry. That's creepy. And I'm like, I had no idea. But, you
Tracy Hayes: know, thanks for No, it's flattering. It's flattering, not creepy.

Erica Harding: Yeah, right. It totally is. and I just think, you know, building that rapport
with people without even knowing or trying, just by being your genuine self is really a great
way to go.
Tracy Hayes: Is there anything else you want to add? You know, I think that, that we didn't
talk about,
Erica Harding: with real estate right now. I think the biggest thing, especially for new
agents is just, you know, keeping your head forward, educating yourself as much as possible
and really honing in on what you can elaborate the most on.
You know, how can you reach the most people and come from the most genuine place
possible? Mm-hmm.
Tracy Hayes: I, I, with the, with the market conditions, now, I mean, what was, someone
was posting the other day. I followed this guy outta New Jersey, the mg, the mortgage guy,
and he was talking about, you know, people should get their mortgage license [01:20:00] and
real estate license and so forth.
And I don't, I should have went and watched the real, why put that topic up, but made me
think a little bit just by seeing the title. we're in a ch this is a change, this is a cycle. This is a
cycle of life. It's a cycle of our industry of real estate. luckily, like you said, we're in a
northeast Florida, we're in a little.
special
Erica Harding: place. I've bought a niche market. Yes. Because
Tracy Hayes: it really is. It is. Mm-hmm. where we're getting layoffs in other parts of the
country, which I've had buyers like. Ready to move here and all of a sudden canceled,
literally got under contract and within 24 hours canceled because that day his company laid
off a bunch of people.
Mm-hmm. And he started calling his bosses and his bosses weren't answering the phone.
Mm-hmm. So he canceled the contract, said, I need to wait this. Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah.
Because he was gonna be working remotely from here. That stuff is going on outside of our
purview. Oh. He, it's where our little demand and, and obviously with interest rates so high,
people aren't making the local moves.
I think that's a big part of the inventory. People were moving from where they're moving here
from Julian D Creek out to Nati or whatever, you know, they're with the rates were so low
and money's so free. They're [01:21:00] like, oh hey, rates so low and we got some equity.
Put it down payment. We have the same payment now cuz we're over there now with the
interest rates so high.
Those little, pleasant people are hanging

Erica Harding: around a little more. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah. So a lot of my customers
are, you know, people who found me on social media and are relocating here. so it is actually
interesting. That's that's very true. Mm-hmm. Yeah. People who are from here are definitely
watching and waiting a bit.
Yeah. And which definitely makes it hard for listings. you know, which it's kind of why I've
honed in a little bit the last few years on new construction is because it can be a little bit
more attainable rather than resale right now.
Tracy Hayes: So, yeah. there, well, there's more options and it's, mm-hmm. It's scattered.
Although I don't know what's going on in, in Duval County and stuff, but obviously Nassau
and St. John's are, you know, tons
Erica Harding: of growth. Yeah, yeah. Especially Nassau, even tons of, just tons of growth
and
Tracy Hayes: I'm, I'm seeing a lot of, well the first time home buyers are, are figuring out,
you know, need to go a little west maybe, you know, there, there's still great opportunity cuz
that's when that, when that highway goes in across the St.
Johns River. Right. I mean, [01:22:00] If, you know, I know the developers are out there,
have already bought up their land, they're preparing for it. Cause the bridge not gonna be
completed until 2030, but people are already Yeah. You go out there and buy a manufactured
home right now on 10 acres. Yeah. You may pay $350,000 for it, but it's gonna be worth a lot
more when that bridge and that highway goes in and it connects and people can cross over.
So yeah. I appreciate you coming on. Of course. Thanks for having, I enjoyed our
conversation. I'm honored. I think it was, we got some really good stuff on here if those are,
those are letting and, and anyone listening to it in the future, learning about you. So, well,
thank you for having me, Tracy. Thank you.
Appreciate it. All right, Eric.