Neal Oates: Excellence, Service, Leadership & Growth

Audio REE#165
Neal Oates Jr.: [00:00:00] I saw that even in adversity, even in frustration, in anger and in
disappointment, if we listen to people and if we actually give them what they need and not
what we want them to have, that they're willing to work with us.

Six months. After being the listing manager, I said, okay, I'm going to go and get my license,
but not so I could sell. It was just so that I could give better service to our buyers and sellers.
Because, you know, once you're licensed, you can say.
Different things. [00:01:00]
Tracy Hayes: Hey, welcome back to the Real Estate Excellence podcast. Today I have
another special guest. He's a facilitator for the upcoming One Coast RE Bar Camp January
26 here in St. Augustine. He trains minority owned businesses to increase revenue quickly
and efficiently. He has been an owner broker of the world renowned real estate for nearly a
decade.
He's also a professional speaker and graduate of Troy University. He has a YouTube channel
that is Full, which I recommend everyone to go check out. And he's consistently adding, uh,
content on there, uh, about real estate management, leadership, marketing, and more. Let's
welcome Neil Oates jr. To the show.
Neal Oates Jr.: Excited to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
Tracy Hayes: I'm really excited about this group that Kim has put together for the RE Bar
Camp.
I was going through everyone's bio there. Obviously quite a few will be on the show. You're
number three. I've got scheduled up all through next week. So I'm really getting, uh, really
interested in learning a little bit about each of you because you're bringing a [00:02:00] lot of
great, uh, um, just a lot of great background, a lot of great experience, uh, to the RE Bar
Camp and everyone, uh, attending should be excited about, uh, the facilitators this year.
Neal Oates Jr.: Yeah. So we a great group. I know that Kim and her team, um, they really
think about the audience. They think about everyone. Uh, and so it takes a lot of
intentionality on their part, but I know it's always an honor and a privilege to be a part of it.
Tracy Hayes: Yep, for sure. So as I kick off every show, so everyone gets a little bit to know
about you.
Uh, Neil, where are you from? Where'd you grow up? And then what, what led you to Troy?
Neal Oates Jr.: So I am originally from Florella, Alabama, a small town. Um, 1100 people.
We did have a couple of stoplights. I know some of your guests are, we're from places where
they didn't have stoplights, only stop signs, no restaurants.
So we were a little bit. larger than that. Um, but, uh, I ended up at Troy on a football
scholarship. Um, had some other opportunities, but I decided to go to a place that was an
hour and 15 minutes away from home close [00:03:00] enough so that my mom and dad
could attend all of my home game. Awesome.

Tracy Hayes: Awesome. You know, you know, I'm, I'm working with my son now, you
know, basketball and that time goes fast.
And those memories of, uh, you know, I'm, you know, my parents sitting on the bench,
they're watching the game, whether I played or not, you know, they were there and, and how
important that is, uh, in, in the life cycle, you know, and, and again, to play collegiate
football. level ball and then be able to go see your, your son and daughter.
I'm sure that that was a great privilege for them to, and memories I'm sure for you. So you're
a Troy, what kind of vision did you have at that time? Like what you wanted to do for a
Neal Oates Jr.: career? So I knew exactly what I was going to do because originally I had
never planned on going to college. Um, the plan was my father, he was a Navy man.
He was in the Navy. Um, and when he got out of service, he opened up a plumbing and
electrical company. Uh, and so he did that for a number of years and even did it on some Air
Force bases down in Eglin, um, at Eglin Air Force Base in [00:04:00] florida. And so my
plan was to go to trade school and to pick up and carry on the family business right to get in
there work with my hands.
Um, but then when I got notice for being decent, being good enough to play college football
and they were going to pay for my school, um, I decided to, you know, I had a conversation
with my parents and said, do we take the route that we originally planned or because
opportunities have presented themselves?
Do we go this route? And so went to school. But I still knew that everything was to run the
family business. That was the goal. So I went into business management so that I could
maybe sure up the things that my dad was great at with the skill set, but maybe didn't have
the business acumen. And so that was the plan.
But then As you know, you go through, you start seeing other opportunities, more
conversations with what I would call my very first mastermind, you know, having my
brothers and my parents, uh, and then just making [00:05:00] decisions, uh, maybe that, um,
were better in the long run, but, uh, required some sacrifice, uh, upfront.
Tracy Hayes: I would, um, cause there's other things you, you learned in college too. And I
had Jake Dixon who, you know, briefly played professional baseball, but played, uh,
collegiate baseball here at UNF in town, um, university in North Florida, just to touch on
your colleagues, as we're talking about college and you mentioned, uh, obviously you played
football work dealing through adversity and I'm kind of jumping forward a little bit in our
conversation, but since we're talking about college and you, you were playing ball there,
your seasons.
of playing athletics right up through, you know, Troy and obviously you, the adversity,
whether it's getting out there in August and you're, you're, you're two days and you're, you

know, with all your gear on and, and, you know, sweating and going, why am I doing this?
Right. Um, to, to losing a game or how important, um, is it?
That are you know, because I think unfortunately [00:06:00] our young people aren't getting
those experiences that you and I had or jake had Enough and putting our kids in those
situations whether it's sports or other situations Where they are dealing with a little bit of
adversity Maybe some failures, you know didn't got cut from a team order.
How important is it? And how has it played in in your overall looking, you know back on on
your entire career? How you've leaned on some of that stuff. Like, Hey, if I can make it in
August, two a days and 110 degree heat, I can do this.
Neal Oates Jr.: Well, I absolutely think it's vital. Uh, and it's not just me. I mean, if we really
look around and when I say look around, I mean, really look around and see, um, where we
are because children, young people who don't go through adversity, who don't know how to,
um, handle.
Challenge become adults who don't know how to handle challenge. It's not like just because
we aged immediately, we're going to be able to handle this thing [00:07:00] when we fail.
When we lose as a child, I believe that it made me to be the person who I am
having parents who allowed me, who encouraged me first. to try everything I wanted to try.
And then when I wanted to quit halfway through, they said, no, you're going to stick out your
commitment. And then once you finish, you can not resume the next season. But in that, um,
just making sure that I knew that there were going to be some hard times that I was going to
fail. Some of my biggest and best lessons, whether it was from an early childhood, even to
now as an adult has come because I lost.
And, um, so here's something, Tracy, I know that we don't like saying we don't like admitting
that there are losers. Right. So sometimes not as a person, but when it comes to a
competition, someone loses. You might lose a listing. You might lose a negotiation. You
might lose a client, but [00:08:00] we have to figure out how we're going to respond to that.
And so I had some big time losses simply because I went to Troy when it was still Troy State
University when we were making the transition from one double A Thanks. to 1A. This is
before the FCS, FBS, all of that. Um, and so when we were there, Troy's goal, the first year
that I was there, was to make money so that we could transition, so it would be a little bit
easier.
That means the first game of the season, my freshman year, we go to Nebraska, Cornhuskers,
80, 000 in the stands. And we're sitting there like, Oh, my gosh. And we had to find a way to
play and know that we were going to have adversity. Their second and third team was as in
depth as many players as our entire team was right.

And so this is where I think that very early on, we decide we figure out. Is this thing
[00:09:00] for us? Are we going to be someone who can be met with challenge, who can
lose, and then who can pick up and resume and play again, knowing now here's the hard part.
Knowing that after a loss, if there's a possibility for you to lose again and again and again,
and how many losses is it going to take before you give up?
Or are you going to say, I'm tired of this and let me figure out a better way. And so
fortunately I've had great coaches. Great teammates, a great ecosystem that has allowed me
to prosper and thrive through all of those losses.
Tracy Hayes: That's an excellent, that's an awesome story there in a nutshell. Now I'm going
to twist it on you because I want you to, um, you know, because you are, you have a team,
uh, world renowned.
You, you're, you know, obviously I assume you are regularly trying to recruit, you know,
people come and go, uh, in real estate. How, how do you take this coaching training that
you're doing now? And, and, and when you have those agents who have that adversity have
been told no, or have [00:10:00] gone, you know, three or four months to kick off their career
and haven't, haven't got a closing yet.
How do you coach them? What are some of the things that you, you know, Taking your
athletic background and so forth. I know you've been, uh, we've all been faced in the dirt and
then, you know, picked back up again. Someone's there to pick it up. How do you pick them
up?
Neal Oates Jr.: So the very first thing, uh, and this is from personal experience and, you
know, just playing alongside some great teammates and having great coaches.
We're always reminded why we got started, why we're in this thing, right? So for me in my
athletic career. It was because this is what was going to pay my way through school. So I
could come out of school with no debt so that then I could lead my companies, my family
business. Okay. So when I'm talking to an agent and they're going through these heartaches
and heartbreaks and headaches and fails and trials, I want to remind them of why they got
started, why they got into this thing.
And unfortunately, [00:11:00] If they got in for the wrong reason and we hear about the why
all the time, but if that is not big enough, strong enough, then they're not going to get through
that four months. They're not going to, um, persevere when people are telling them no, when
they're getting hung up on or the deals fall through and they're the commission, the
compensation that they were counting on.
Disappears, right? And so I think that's why even before we get started and as I'm coaching
and walking people through this thing, I start with why are you doing this thing? If you are
doing it for a quick book, it's going to be a challenge. There are easier ways to make more
money. There are easier ways to make.

Money than to deal with people, but if you want the possibility if you're here in this thing
and if you have what it takes Because I do believe that this industry we're in I think it's a
fantastic industry, but it's not for everyone It takes a special person It takes certain
characteristics and qualities and so if they [00:12:00] don't have that then I can't coach that or
train that however If it's in there, if that drive is there, we can remind them of it and then pull
them through simple techniques.
Like make sure that we focus on the activity more than the result. We are a result focused
society. I need to see something I need to see. Um, however, I say, well, did you make your
phone calls this week? You know, if we've been in the industry for any amount of time, we
know it's all about lead generation, lead conversion.
Did you generate the number of leads? Did you make. the context. Did you get out and
network? Um, if they do those things, then law of averages, there are some laws that just
cannot be broken. If your skills are where they should be, um, then we know we're going to
get good results. It might not be in the time that we expected, but we can if we persevere, if
we don't quit, if we don't give up, I just believe and so far I've been proven right, that good
things are gonna happen.
Tracy Hayes: There's no, do you think the [00:13:00] typical person coming into this
industry. I've had a lot of, you know, uh, top people that have come in. And of course, last
two or three years, they just got it right away, had a great mentor, stepped in the right
direction, and everything was golden. And then, you know, we have others that, you know,
I've had others that have been, uh, you know, been in the business longer, and they had some
trials and, and tribulations and get put forth.
But do you think the average person that comes in realizes That first day that really, I don't
know, you may have it at 70, 80 percent of what they do is actually that networking,
marketing, you know, getting their name out.
Neal Oates Jr.: No, no one gets into real estate to talk to people, right? No one gets into real
estate to we get into real estate because we want to make money.
Now, we might want to help people, right? But we're not going out and volunteering at a
charity, right? We're getting into this thing because of the possibilities and the opport And
unfortunately, I just don't believe that the system is [00:14:00] set up to prepare us mentally
or emotionally what to expect that first three months, that first year, um, because that's stuff
that's not taught.
Now it's mentioned. But it's not taught, you know, like for instance, uh, mental stability when
you come in and you have pressures all around you, uh, uh, bills and responsibilities and
family members, and you have no solid answer for them. Um, and so then we start, look. We
start doing things out of urgency and emergency and not out of a system or process.
Um, so I don't think that any of us and unless I will make, uh, you mentioned it just a few
minutes ago, Tracy, unless you have a mentor, you come in and you have someone who's

going to prepare you. And I'm not saying, Oh, um, it's going to be hard out here. And then
they walk away. Right. They say they're going to be challenges, but here's how we get over
those things.
Aqui Voy
Neal Oates Jr.: If you have a question, call me. Um, if you need to walk alongside, if you
find a success partner, these types of [00:15:00] things. Um, but right now, unfortunately we
have forgotten what makes us successful in this business. We think that it's the next shiny,
sexy deal. We don't remember that it's relationships, that it's going out, having people who
know us, like us, trust us, that we have to interact with people.
And if we keep forgetting that, then we are going to be obsolete. And there's always going to
be someone who can turn it down. Who will go back and do these little small, um, proven
things and then just add a touch of what's relevant right now and they're going to win.
Tracy Hayes: So I'm going to, we're going to go back, we're going to go back on script now.
So you, you, you, uh, graduate from Troy. Uh, you, you expected to go into the family
business. What leads you into real estate?
Neal Oates Jr.: So first, what led me into real estate was that, um, my dad and my mom,
they told me, Nope, you were not going to run a family business. Um, your dad, he is
retiring. We're going to shut that down.
You have [00:16:00] a different set of skills that we need to utilize. And I love people. I like
interacting. Um, and so this was one of those things where, uh, I really had to listen to wise
counsel, right? I mentioned that my parents and my family were my first mastermind. So
I just believe that there are people who will see in you what you can't see in yourself, what
you might take for granted.
Uh, and so they told me, You have the gift and the ability of sales, of networking, of
communication. So I found the first sales job I could, and that was at Rent A Center, right?
Just renting out, um, TVs and couches, uh, and the such. And so I was there for a couple of
years and then, uh, a, a gentleman from Terminix, because I don't know if you know this.
But oftentimes the pest control and the rental center pieces, they would overlap. Right. So
you would see a lot of people at rental center and then terminax we're right next door. And so
he would see me, um, just rising up the ranks and the number of units that I had on borrow.
[00:17:00] And the manager came over and said, I think that we can do better.
And so worked at Terminix for a couple of years. Um, and then I'm doing wood destroying
organism inspections, WDO report reports for a real estate agent here in South Florida. And
he says, Neil, You're too sharp to be crawling under houses. You shouldn't be going in attics.
You should be selling these houses.

Um, and so, uh, Tracy, I'll tell you, my one professional regret is, um, that he said, come to
my office tomorrow during your lunch break. I went to his office, uh, at lunch and I never
went back to Terminix. So I kept their metal clipboard and their measuring wheel, um,
because that was the first step, right? And so that's when my eyes.
open to what possibilities were, but it's all because I listened to wise council. I've always had
people around me that I knew loved me, cared about me and knew more than me. And if I
had those people around and if I listened to them, that's how I got into [00:18:00] real estate
because someone said You have a different set of skills.
You could be better and my drive, my desire to be the best brought me into an environment
where now I'm utilizing everything that I've had since, since an early age.
Tracy Hayes: Wow. That, that is an incredible, that is an incredible story. And I look, I look
back, uh, you know, reflect back on, on my life of 53 years. And, you know, I am a i, I, I do
believe things happen for a reason.
And, and obviously that graduation that you took from Rent Center to Terminex and, and in
meeting the different people, you know, you know, I'm sure the adversity of client Yeah.
Climbing, crawling under some of those houses on or up in ATTs or whatever, in the heat of
the summer and, and, uh, you know. Put you through to go.
Oh real estate. I you know when you walked in that office, and I'm sure they felt a nice air
conditioning And everyone was dressed nice and you know, it just you're like, yeah, and i'm
not going back I I could see that that that is [00:19:00] I that is just that is just an amazing
amazing inspirational story So tell us a little so you there, you know, you have sounds like
you have a mentor right away Am I right?
Is this gentleman now mentoring you getting you kicked off in your in your business?
Neal Oates Jr.: So, absolutely. So I came in as their listing manager, right? So this was early
2007. So I didn't get to make any of the boom money, but I was in an environment where
there was activity. Um, and so I'm working under him and his part, he and his partner.
And so I just got to see. Real estate at a very high level, um, very quickly. And so the
challenge was that the type of clients that we were dealing with, um, they own properties, but
we would carry listings. So 2007 through 2009 or 10, um, we were in a situation where we
carried listings. For 18 months with no offers.
And so very early on as the listing manager, I was [00:20:00] subjected to now, I believe my,
uh, mentor, my team leader at the time, he knew what I was, what he was getting me into,
but we were dealing with sellers who were upset sellers who were disappointed. However,
what I realized is that when they called and they were frustrated because we didn't have
showings.

I knew that if I could communicate with them, if I could listen to what they were saying and
hear their pain points, if I could reassure them, if I could show them that we are putting in
the effort, that we're doing exceptional marketing on our end, that the market just wasn't
receiving what we had a lot of times, even in the 18 months of having them.
I would say 30 or 40 listings that we just could not move. Not a single one of them canceled
their marketing agreements. And so
I saw that even in adversity, even in frustration, in anger and in disappointment, if we listen
to people and if we actually give them what they need and not what we want them to have,
[00:21:00] that they're willing to work with us.
And so that was my very first education into this thing. And I would say about six months
after being the listing manager, I said, okay, I'm going to go and get my license, but not so I
could sell. It was just so that I could give better service to our buyers and sellers. Because,
you know, once you're licensed, you can say.
Different things. Um, and so it was really a way for me to honor and get a show respect and
to add value to my mentor and the team So that they could be out trying to sell and do things
instead of having to answer questions That because I didn't have a license I couldn't legally
answer
Tracy Hayes: what's so interesting about that time period Uh, you know, I start I started the
business 2005 and obviously, you know, I remember summer 2007 Was was lean Uh, you
know, that was a really, really tough time, uh, you know, and obviously real estate agents,
mortgage people, you know, getting out of the business at that time here, you go into the
business at [00:22:00] this time, so you're, you're smack dab into it.
You don't know, uh, probably the heyday that they probably talked about a four or five. 2006,
I know in South Florida, things started to tip a little bit, you know, started to come off the
highs and all of a sudden, but now you're in a, you know, foreclosures and short sales and so
forth. How did you, you know, what was your attitude in taking that on?
Cause I imagine in the office, you had these experienced people that have seen it, you know,
through those, the times like we had in 21, you know, in five and four or five and six, you
come in and this is like. Just another day at the office, you got to deal with a short sale or a
foreclosure situation.
Neal Oates Jr.: Absolutely. Sometimes the best thing about, um, ignorance is that we don't
know what we don't know. Right. So I came in and all I knew was that I could not control.
So thankfully, and I continue to say this, whether it was about my coaches, my family, my
parents. So
I've always been told to control the [00:23:00] things that you can control and let the rest do
what it's going to do.

Right. And so I focused on, can I make sure that when we had just traditional listings, we
operated in that, um, Ram that I did what I could, that I got my license, that I was having
intelligent and, uh, important conversations with sellers or buyers, when we transitioned to
the foreclosure era, um, my mentor, my team leader, he was forward seeing enough.
He had a coach of course, and the coach was saying, even. Two years before the foreclosures
really hit South Florida. Uh, we were prepared. We had already set up an REO division in
our company. And fortunately. I was running the REO division, right? And so, I got to see
this thing and to hear him when everyone thought that he was crazy, right?
Getting REO and putting money for trash outs and all this stuff aside and building this thing
before we had, um, [00:24:00] REOs just locally. I remember the first REO unit that we got
that was bank assigned. And we just started running a process, but it's because he was
connected with people outside of our local area, someone from Las Vegas who had already
seen this thing, right?
And so that's where I go back. And even today, I'm always looking outside of our market
area to see what's happening somewhere that might be a precursor to what we're seeing right
here. But for me, I think that that was probably my best time in real estate simply because I
was able to learn about a lean market.
Then things took off because we had the REOs and the listings from the bank. So I got to see
what a bust. Market look like and then things level out all in about two and a half years So I
really got to see a seven year cycle in about two and a half years because I came in when
there was nothing Selling to [00:25:00] everything selling and then things slowing down and
getting some short sales Because we would see since we had the REO listings 40 or 50 offers
a day come into our office And so now I got really good at knowing the contracts And how
to negotiate, looking to see what's the best option for a buyer or seller.
Um, so for me, that was when I was really educated. That's when I got a master's degree in
two and a half years time, right
Tracy Hayes: there. For sure. Um, it sounds like. You were very fortunate to run into the
right people, um, I mean, especially during that time, I mean, the, the, the, uh, forward
looking, uh, aspect of it, like I said, they knew people in Vegas who had already started to go
through this process, so they're talking and, and so this individual, uh, you know, was
connected, the broker, your, your, your mentor, you're following him and you were fortunate.
Yeah. Um, one of the things we, you know, we talked about pre show, I always like to
[00:26:00] dig in because I really feel sometimes, uh, there's agency in you and you know,
these agents that could go and just do it themselves. It doesn't matter who they're, what
broker they're working under. They're, they're going to do it because they just have the, uh.
the skill set, uh, whatever it may be and the network to advance their business on their own.
But for the majority of the agents out there, it, they really do look into, uh, what value add.

Um, they don't know they're looking for it. I think a lot of them don't know, uh, when they're
out there looking at brokerages.
So, uh, The question I kind of, you know, prepped you for before the show, you know,
whether you're a new agent and you're, maybe you're in that pre license, pre licensing course
now, and you haven't chosen a brokerage to go with, don't know who you're going to go
with, or you're an agent right now who, uh, you know, we've come off the peak of 21 and 22
rates are higher.
It's a little more challenging market. Maybe, you know, you're, we've got some different
challenges today than just say 18 months ago. Uh, the broker's really [00:27:00] not, Being
that, uh, forward looking as you experienced, uh, you know, 14 years ago, how important in,
in, in, can you give some tips if to these agents of what they should be looking for, what kind
of questions they might ask, and they're out there interviewing brokers and they remind them
that they are actually interviewing the broker, the brokers, making sure that you're not going
to be poisoned coming in their office, but really they're going to, they, they, they really want
to hire as many able body.
People who are hungry, but really it's the agent who needs to interview that
Neal Oates Jr.: broker. Absolutely. So fantastic question, Tracy. So the first thing that I
always encourage everyone to start with is from one of my favorite books, know thyself,
right? Know yourself first. I think that we have to know our personality traits.
We have, if you have not done some type of personality assessment, whether you're new in
the industry or you're a seasoned vet, I need you to know who you are. Or what's your
communication style? What do, [00:28:00] or how do you respond to training or no training?
What's the work environment like? Because too many times we are square pegs trying to get
into a round hole simply because of the potential for more income.
Um, right. Or because one of our friends or colleagues, someone that we. love and respect
told us this is where we should go. But ultimately, I believe first that we must know
ourselves and then in that knowing of ourselves, know what your goals are, right? And so
if you come in and for new agents, maybe you just need to go to a place where you need
training.
Maybe you need leads and then you need a success or accountability partner, right? But you
have to know what it is you're looking For because if you don't know what you're looking
for, you're not going to get it. And that's going to be confusion and chaos. So I believe that
knowing what it is that you need and then asking your, the broker or asking, um, the office
manager, the team leader say, Hey, who.
[00:29:00] is or who has been where I am. May I speak to them? Can I have conversations? I
think that unfortunately too many of the conversations stop between potential agent and

broker. I like for conversations to go from potential agent to broker, to office manager, team
leader, maybe a couple of agents in that office, because.
The reality is very rarely is it going to be one on one with that brokerage? We fall in love
with the numbers or the writing or the policy, but the people make up the environment. When
the yogurt hits the fan, it's not going to be something that's in writing or the split that's going
to give you peace, right?
It's going to be able to lean in, ask questions, and then know that you're in the right
ecosystem. Now, here's where I would caution, Experience or seasoned veterans to be
cautious just a little bit because too many times we think that what we were looking for
[00:30:00] what was good enough for us five years ago or 10 years ago is good enough now
that instead of looking for An evolved brokerage, we're looking for this, a different version
of the same thing we're at, right?
When really maybe your business, maybe who you are, your expectations have changed,
right? We see it in our industry when we see new ways. Families, maybe they come in to
retirees, but we think that we are the exceptions because we're the ones doing the business
when in reality, we're not, we know that if our clients or customers have these different
stages that our careers are going to have different stages, maybe now you don't need a
success partner, maybe you don't need leads, maybe you need a broker who's going to give
you more exposure, maybe you need a broker who's just going to just help you.
Allow you to just do whatever you want to do and just stay legal, right? But this goes back to
who are [00:31:00] you? What are your values? Because a lot of times I think that we look at
the Brokerages values and we never assess our own values and then they just don't match,
right? But if we know who we are and then we really dive in dig in and ask some key
questions Right.
One of the questions is and not to get too specific. So we're always talking about number of
Agents, number of agents, size, right? I always, even as a broker or trainer and coach, I'm
asking per agent production, right? That per agent production is a different number than
office sales volume. What's your per agent production on average?
What can a realistic agent with my years of experience? If the broker can't answer those
questions, Maybe you need to look at another broker ask them because most brokers are
going to say for my agents who have zero to three years of experience. This is their per agent
[00:32:00] production, but this is what we do in that process from four to maybe seven years.
This is the per agent production that we see because that's where you want to set realistic
expectations. If I'm a new agent and I'm going into an office or interviewing with an office
where they are seasoned veterans, and I hear per agent production of X number of coconuts a
year, I'm going to say, yes, I can do that.
But they've been in for 15 years. They're just bringing in a newbie and it sounds exciting.
And then I think that something's wrong with me or the broker lied when I don't hit that in

my first year. So I think that that per agent production based on the years in the industry. I'm
always asking that. I'm always encouraging my agents to ask that question.
And if they fit with the value and knowing what you want and what's going to work for you,
um, you're more likely to succeed.
Tracy Hayes: Now we see in the industry, agents move [00:33:00] from one brokerage to
another for whatever value add. that might, that might be what they perceive is there as a
leader. And you've been, you know, with, you know, running the renowned and having a
team.
Um, there's a lot of these individuals that are going to be at the re bar camp. I've had a lot of
them on the show. Uh, keep my questions up there on the screen there. Um, a lot of these lot
of these top brokerages or team leads on the show The main challenge that obviously they
have is obviously if you want to have a team Retention and having some of those core people
that have been with you Uh, you're not they can almost duplicate what you do so the team
can grow because you as one individual can't Oftentimes spread out, but if you start two or
three, four other people that are doing everything you're doing and have the same ideology,
how have you been able to, uh, you know, cultivate that and renowned and bring in people
that are, uh, you know, kind of the skill set mindset that you have to be able to duplicate and
then, and [00:34:00] obviously retain agents over time.
As a team lead.
Neal Oates Jr.: So first, so first I believe it goes back to having, so we just have four pillars
of success, right? Knowing that everyone that comes in, if you don't meet our basic four, and
then we have an additional nine, so 13 characteristics and setting that bar. So
excellence, service, leadership, and growth.
Those are our four basic pillars for success. And everything that we do is filtered through.
there. And so what I make sure that I'm communicating all the time, how can I make sure
that I'm living up to excellent service, leadership and growth? And I'm finding that people
want to gravitate to that. But then here's something that I believe is absolutely valuable.
So with all of the members in my brokerage, all of the agents and team members, what I
have to be cautious of is that how I speak to, or how I deliver on excellent service,
leadership, and growth for each individual is going to be. Right. [00:35:00] And so if I can
speak excellence to one of my agents, it might sound totally different than to one of my
newer agents on the team, but it's still Excellence So being able to have those relationships,
being willing to not say. This is my blanket definition of excellence. That's it. If you don't
meet this, then you're out. And then what I have found is that like attracts like, right? This is
unlike a magnet, but like attracts like birds of a feather. And so if we are operating in with
our four basic pillars and then come in with those additional nine, I just know that we're
going to have good people come in.

And then Tracy, something that you asked, well, how do I retain? The first thing that I do to
retain is I let people know that I'm not holding them hostage. I was with my very first mentor
for eight and a half years and a lot of that time was behind the scenes, right? But here's
[00:36:00] why I was with him for eight and a half years because he said that going in his
goal was to teach me everything that I needed to know so that I could open up my own
brokerage.
Right. And so for me, that type of person, so we saw agents come and go now. Did it hurt?
Yes. When we poured into agents and they left, but he called his team that we had at the time
a university. Uh, that this is where you come in, that you get everything you can so that if
and when you want to go. It's going to be with his blessing.
And so when it was my turn to go and we still speak to this day, he was like, okay, but here's
what I need you to do when you go. I need you to go and represent this thing that we had
very well. Um, and so I'm, I'm just one of those people that I believe that if we try to hold on
too tight, we're either going to squeeze it or kill it.
Um, and so for me, it just has always worked. I want to add value. People want to stay where
they're valued. If you show people that they [00:37:00] are valued, that you care about them
and that you care about what they care about, um, they're going to want to be here with us.
And they're going to tell their friends, families, cause this is the whole idea.
We teach it to our clients and customers asking for referrals. You want to deliver great
service in the transaction. Well, for my brokers and even for my agents, are you giving value
to those around you so much so that they want to be a part of what you're doing? And so
that's, that's my strategy.
Tracy Hayes: That mindset that he had is amazing.
How, at that time, when you met him in 2007, how many, how long had he been in real estate
at that time?
Neal Oates Jr.: So he had been in for 10 years because he, he's 10 years older than me in the
industry. And he even mentioned the broker that we were with at the time was his mentor.
Right. And so I believe it's so important, more so than.
Any, um, tip tool technique that you can get just being in the right environment. Um, and
because if you're in the right environment, I've found that [00:38:00] opportunities seek the
right environment. Opportunities are attracted to the right environment if you have the right
people. And that's why when you ask about the brokerage and what questions do new or
seasoned agents want to seek out and look for.
Look for the right environment. Now, there is no, I don't believe right, exactly right or
wrong, but it might be right or wrong for you. So I knew what my values were very early on.
And when I found that environment, act on it. So something that I just believe in and

something that a mantra that I've lived my life by for the past, I'm going to say 20 years, is
turn thoughts into actions faster.
If I can turn a thought into an action faster and then stick out and see that action through to
completion, then great things are going to come as a result of it.
Tracy Hayes: I mean, his whole business, um, acumen there on cause I've heard some horror
stories of agents leaving and they, they. They tell me, Oh yeah, I left so and so and you know,
they're talking trash about me or whatever.
[00:39:00] It's just a bad thing. And in reality, not everyone wants to be a broker and lead a
team. Not everyone has the ability to do that, uh, has that skill set. So the reality, I think the
mindset that is The reality is most people aren't going to leave if you are Feeling valued and
getting value out of that brokerage They're just they're going to stay there because they're of
the environment that you're talking about Yeah, if you have someone branch off, it should be
a compliment.
I'm a big john maxwell, uh, Follower and and obviously one thing he says is you know
leaders Should be building other leaders and it sounds like that's exactly what happened to
you and what happened to him because he was taken in and he became a leader and brought
you on made you, you know, created a leader out of you saw something in you and, and went
with it, invested in you and, and it should be proud of obviously where you're at today.
I think it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a mindset. It's, it's gives you more peace because I be frustrated
and, and Angry because someone left your [00:40:00] brokerage because for whatever
reason that they just felt they needed to leave and go somewhere else You're you're you're the
life is not long enough for that, you know
Neal Oates Jr.: It is not.
So, so Tracy, something that I was, I heard and then that I just embodied, um, it goes back to
say, don't judge the quality of a leader by the number of followers behind him. Judge the
quality of the leader by the number of leaders beside him. Right. And so we just know that if
we can find, if I can find great people, my goal, everything, even with world renowned real
estate.
So when I created my brokerage, the purpose was to be world renowned. I can't do that. If I
am not encouraging others to also be world renowned, to be the best in their lane, in their
Avenue. And so I. If I'm going to say one thing for me to have integrity, I also have to live up
to that. So even with myself, I've seen, and just recently, uh, one of my agents started a
[00:41:00] brokerage, right?
And it was in a different market, but it was with my blessing, knowing that when we came
in, for instance, I just, I'll just go ahead and tell everyone my, a requirement for my
brokerage is that within three years of joining my brokerage. Or within the first time that

you're able and eligible for your broker's license, I'd need everyone to get their broker's
license.
Right. And so part of that is so they can understand the business so that they can really see
what it is that I'm running. But then also I never want anyone because I think I'm great at
what I do. I love what I do, but I don't want to hold people hostage. I don't want to wake up
one day. And not want to do this thing.
And then I shut it down and someone be like, well, what are we going to do now? Right. I
just believe that my mentor said, I always want you to be in a position so that you control
your future. And what better way than when you tell people. I [00:42:00] need you to get
your broker's license. I'm not gonna kick you out, but in case something happens, so now
when I have an office full of broker associates that says something about the caliber and the
character of our office, right?
It says something about our team and the agents when they say, well, hey, we're all broker
associates here. We don't have sales associates. And then of course, on the outside people are
going to say, well, what is it about Neil? That he would have nothing but broker associates in
his, you know, environment.
There must be something special there, right? And so I believe that when I say it, but then
when I show them and then when I encourage agents, Hey, let's take it a little bit further. I
need you to know this thing, this thing that we're in. I believe that the broker training and
course is far superior than the sales associate.
And so if I really want you to have excellent service, leadership, and that last one, growth,
then I must encourage you or this just isn't the right environment for you.[00:43:00]
Tracy Hayes: You have expanded now into, uh, speaking, uh, you know, I've, I've dabbled in
on your YouTube, uh, um, page there. You're, you're putting out a lot of different trainings
and so forth and coaching. And of course, one of the things that I, and I mentioned in the
intro, uh, that you like to work with a minority owned businesses, helping them, you know,
become profitable.
So obviously they can stay in business. Tell us a little bit about that. What led you into that to
expand from what you're, you know, are you've been doing, which I'm sure you've been
coaching and training agents for, you know, uh, since 2007 to now take that actually into
other types of businesses. And obviously, you know, speaking.
Neal Oates Jr.: Well, I listened to someone much smarter than me, uh, and someone who
once again saw something. So if you look at my life,
my entire success has been when I was willing to receive counsel, wise counsel. So that my
favorite book says for lack of counsel or like wars are lost, I want to win. [00:44:00] So one
of, um, so from Florida realtors from the local association, they were saying, Hey, you have a
gift.

Here's what we believe. And so, the thought was planted. I took action on it. And then,
really, as a result of it. Everything changed, right? The whole idea of not only training and
speaking, but knowing that now when I speak in front of a room of 600 700, 1300 people, I
am now auditioning for that referral business coming back.
Um, and then knowing that if I can use my skills to help others, but then also because we're
in business to be profitable, if I can help you and. In my effort of helping you, as you know,
Zig Ziglar would say, um, you can have everything you want in life if you help enough other
people get what they want.
And so as I'm doing that, the symbiotic relationship is that it just comes back to me. Um, and
then specifically with minority business owners of service based business is because I am
one, right? [00:45:00] That's me. And so what's more authentic than if I can look. And see
what this industry has done for me and my family when I say that we aren't wealthy, but we
get to enjoy a quality of life that I never thought possible.
And it's because as you've heard here and everyone's heard, um, I've just had some really
great people show me the way and unfortunately we don't have enough people who have
someone willing to show them the way and to even show what's possible, right? You
mentioned when I was, went on lunch break from Terminix,
I did not know that real estate was a possibility.
I didn't know it was a real thing. I didn't know I could go in and not have to work hard that I
could work smart. So now having a responsibility and an opportunity to show others. If you
come in here, if you follow a specific process, if you learn the right things, it doesn't have to
be difficult. It doesn't have to be impossible.
So it's [00:46:00] going to be challenging. But the process is simple. And as minorities,
whether whatever your ideal or definition of minority is, I'll tell you that many times we've
been ingrained with the wrong thing here. We see our counterparts thriving and then we are
running trying to catch up. But we're running on a treadmill.
We're doing all of the wrong things. That's all my coaches, my colleagues. They're giving me
the it. things, the real things that have made them successful. And now there's a
responsibility on me to go back and what my mentor said, represent him well, making sure
that I represent my parents and my original mastermind very well by doing everything I can
to help others succeed.
Tracy Hayes: as always happens in the conversation. You the I guess I guess good questions
because it always asked answers a lot of the questions that I have further down here, but I'm
going to dig in a little bit deeper on some of the things that you have mentioned. Um, I had
the four principles was on [00:47:00] here. Uh, which you've already, you already went into a
little bit the excellent service leadership and growth and you mentioned, um, you know, in
your, I don't know which social media or LinkedIn, one of the places about white glove

service, but also leading into you are, um, you have a focus in the luxury or, um, you, you do
mention you use the term affluent, clients.
Um, in the, in this grand scheme of things, there's a, at least in my opinion, you can, you
know, agree or disagree. You, you build up to this level of service, uh, that you have. I think
a lot of agents, in my opinion, the majority of agents, um, They are either, I don't want to use
the word afraid, but don't understand like going, doing something special to wow that client,
right?
The excellence in service. I think of recently because my wife's an agent, you know, she had
a, uh, a, uh, [00:48:00] Comment came back, uh, about how she went and was picked, still
picking the weeds, even though the house was under contract, it was a house that had been
vacated because a person had passed away, was still picking the weeds in the yard up to
closing, you know, that's when someone actually notices that, that is, that is to me, you know,
some, that's taking it to another level and someone reading that's going, Oh my God, so what
would they do for me?
Right? That type of thing. When you're trying to explain that, yeah. To someone, uh, because
I don't think it just comes naturally to everyone. Some of us were brought up that way, right?
To go the extra mile, open the door, hold the door open. I don't, in this day and age, not
everyone does that. And let alone someone, when you hold the door, they say, thank you.
I mean, that's like, you know what I'm saying? So, uh, that's all part of this mindset that
you're. Tip a little bit as we finish up here in the last few minutes, you know, you're the
excellent service, leadership and growth, the white glove service. And then how is that
[00:49:00] moving you into the affluent or luxury market?
I was reading a little bit in your material that you obviously are thriving for, which in South
Florida, yeah, you've got to go after, right?
Neal Oates Jr.: Absolutely. So, uh, here's where it goes back to Mr. Wayne dressed away. I
say, yes, sir. No, sir. You know, the things that here in South Florida, um, are taboo, right? If
I say yes, ma'am to a lady and immediately, she thinks I'm calling her old or aged and that's
it.
It's a sign of respect, not of age, right? And so what I realized is going back, knowing
myself, knowing that I like having intelligent conversation, knowing that I like to dress like
this. This is my casual dress, bow tie, slacks, dress shoes, um, in South Florida. So for many
others, I'm a weirdo. And I'm okay, because I know that I'm not for everyone.
So what I did, when I look at who I am, I said, well, where can I take my skills, my
personality, and where [00:50:00] can I deliver or offer to individuals that are going to value,
not only what I do, but who I am. There is an audience for everyone right now that believes
that what they have to offer is valuable. So you have to find Who your audience is and ignore
everyone else.

So for me,
I believe that we have an affordability crisis, especially in South Florida. However, that's not
my audience and I'm okay with that right now. A lot of others say, well, Neil, you should
care about debt, equity, inclusion. You should care about affordability and attainability. I do
care, that's why I give to ARPAC, that's why I support other agents, that right?
But for me, my mindset is set for global and international, right? I'm sorry, global and
affluent, global and luxury. My skill set, me being from Alabama here in South Florida, is
almost like I'm a [00:51:00] foreign national. I'm in a different environment. So being able to
communicate and understand. And really dive in and love culture.
I mentioned that I just love people. I'm curious, I'm inquisitive. And so also I want to help
people see their dreams, see that they are living the lives that they want. Here's what I
learned. The affluent understand that as many negative stereotypes or ideologies that we
have about the affluent, the successful, the rich, the luxury class niche.
The reality is they're probably got where they are because they want to help people. And so if
I want to be in an environment where opportunities are going to seek me out and I'm not
going to have to fight and it doesn't have to be hard and because I know you didn't want to
say the word afraid.
Agents aren't afraid to enter that market. They're going to think that they are going to be seen
as imposters or they're not smart enough. They don't have the right upground [00:52:00]
upbringing or background. For me, all of that stuff is a fact. Not smart enough, don't have the
right upbringing, first generation realtor, so we don't have a lineage.
But here's what I also know, that there was a possibility. Because people have said, I think
you have something special. And so I just started to believe it, and then as a result. I prepared
myself for this thing. I just made sure that every negative stereotype, everything that could
be a challenge, I just addressed it and then I said, when my lack of sales experience comes up
here, how am I going to respond?
So just, we do the same thing, thinking about our rebuttals and the scripts, the dialogue,
having our toolbox prepared. I just got a shinier toolbox, put some better quality tools in
there, and then I acted as if I belong. And then once I started delivering exceptional service,
once I delivered on the [00:53:00] experience, so you mentioned your wife going out and
picking the weeds.
Great service right now is not enough. It can't just be great at service. You have to deliver an
experience. And so that's where I started setting myself apart. That's what I really started in
doing, is how can I give people an experience, so that when When they think of Neal Oates,
when they think of world renowned real estate, when they think of that white glove service,
when they think of affluent or successful, I have to come to mind, right?

And so, all of that goes back to when I started the company. I could have, you know, named
my brokerage Neal Oates Associates, but that didn't communicate What I want what I
wanted to it to communicate and so listening to smarter people So if nothing else, I want
people I want agents Um to know get in the right environment have people who are smarter
than you that love you that know more than you that have Done [00:54:00] what you want to
do and they are successful for it that they can actually prove and show That they've done this
thing if you do that You got, you're going to have better results.
Tracy Hayes: I'm going to wind that up. I appreciate you coming on. I want to, I want to
kind of finish with this thought. Um, you're coming up to RE Bar Camp. Hopefully, uh,
those, um, uh, that are coming are, are, are watching this through or get some of the clips
and when they, um, how do I want to phrase it? What is the, what is the message that you
are, uh, are in your mind of them?
Imagine you're thinking about that. You want to deliver when it's your opportunity. I, I don't
know if Kim's is every one of you guys going to get up and speak a little bit, cause there is
like 15 of you speak for so many minutes, but what is the message that you want to get
across coming, uh, and leave a memory of who Neil Oates is to this, you know, 1200 plus
agents that are going to be there.
The 26th.
Neal Oates Jr.: Yep. So I think we're gonna have like three minutes right from the main
stage, then we'll facilitate, uh, our [00:55:00] different things. But the main thing that I want
to leave people with is a belief in their ability to have everything that they want and desire if
they take this thing serious, right? If they are willing to do the hard, necessary, consistent,
continuous work, right?
It's going to require them to do something that they. Easy days are over. Um, but I want them
to be aware that while it might not be easy, it is simple. Um, and that is possible if people, I
just think that like we just forget that it's possible for us. And I think that's the one thing I
would want everyone to know that not only is success in this niche in this industry possible,
but it's possible for you.
It's easy for us to look over here and see our colleagues thriving and then start making
excuses or telling ourselves a story. Why? Yeah. Yes, they can do it. But I can't. Um, I just
want everyone to know that if you see me on a stage on a platform in some type of media,
then you can be in that exact [00:56:00] same place doing what it is that you love serving
people.
And if you serve people, you care for people, if you connect with them, they we need that
now more than ever. So just make sure that, you know, it's possible if you do things the right
way. If you're in this industry and you're serious about it, you're gonna figure it out and just
make sure you surround yourself with good people.

Tracy Hayes: 100 percent Neil. I love your story. It was excellent. I appreciate you coming
on. And, and I, you know, I got something out of our conversation today. Some thoughts that
are going through my head. Definitely look forward to meeting you face to face on the 26th.
I'm going to have all your, um, social media stuff in the show notes.
Uh, I suggest that, you know, check out Neil's YouTube page. As everyone knows, if you
listen to my. Uh, uh, show enough. I think real estate agents are not utilizing YouTube as
much as they can be to be that expert in their area. So, you know, take a look at what Neil's
doing there. And, and, uh, again, look forward to meeting you on the 26th.
Can't wait,
Neal Oates Jr.: sir. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you. Thank you.
Tracy Hayes: You have a great day.