Stacy Darnell: The JAX Team of eXp Realty

Podcast Intro  0:30  
 Welcome to Real Estate excellence making lasting connections to the best of the best in today's industry, elite. We'll help you expand your circle of influence by introducing you to the leaders in the real estate industry, whether it's top agents who execute at a high level every day, or the many support services working behind the scenes, we'll share their stories, ideologies and the inner workings of how they run a truly successful business, and show you how to add their tools to your belt. Now please welcome the host with the most Tracy Hayes,

Tracy Hayes  1:04  
today, I have the jack's fit realtor on the show. She is off to a great start in 2023

Tracy Hayes  1:10  
she's a University of Central Florida graduate. She is a military relocation specialist. We'll dig in a little bit there. She has over coming up five and a half year in in the business, she has over 150 plus transactions under her belt. She recently moved her team to exp. Let's welcome the owner, leader of the Jax team of EXP Realty, Stacy Darnell to the show. 

Stacy Darnell  1:34  
Thank you so much for having Thank you. I'm glad that you could come over this morning and even early, because most of them, I say 10 o'clock, and it's about 1005 when they roll in. 

Tracy Hayes  1:44  
But that's standard procedure for real estate agents, isn't it? 

Stacy Darnell  1:48  
Yeah, yeah, especially if it's not a showing or a listing appointment, I guess, from that standpoint. 

Tracy Hayes  1:52  
But Stacy, I really want to, we were talking pre show as I always prep everyone I you know, really want to dig in to your ideology. You've, you've moved brokerages, which gives us a lot of things to talk about. Because I'm, you know, one of the things, one of the common themes that I have on the show is, you know that you what each brokerage gives you, and they give you something different, and how you know, and obviously, why you're at exp, we'll eventually get into that today, and what you feel that's going to give you and your your career growth so but as I start off every show, where are you from? 

Stacy Darnell  2:24  
Oh, gosh, I am from Florida. I'm born and raised here. Was born in New Smith beach, and grew up there, and then moved to Jacksonville at what 99 and been here ever since. So you remember the day when Daytona, Daytona Beach probably was still a spring break, yeah, yes, yes. And how over the last you know? Well, roughly, I say 1520, years, they've kind of gotten Daytona has stepped out of being that place anymore. Yeah, yeah, as they are, well, as my age group, over, over, it was actually when I when I graduated college in early 1992 actually, by that time, it really was tapering off. I mean, people are still going there, and you were still hearing stories. And I remember going down there and driving up and down the strip, everybody checking each other out,

Stacy Darnell  3:15  
the races, Bike Week, all that. Good people hanging off the balconies

Stacy Darnell  3:20  
and stuff like that, and it was interesting. But, yeah, it doesn't have that doesn't have that anymore. Bike Week. It's Bike Week and day in the Daytona 500 are really it's two holidays, or, you know, Daytona holidays anyway, from that standpoint. But so you know, your young person growing up, what you know? What are you envisioning as you go to UCF, what did you have your vision of what you wanted to do as a career? Because I imagine it wasn't real estate, not real estate. I was actually headed in a completely different direction, more. It was psychology and then nutrition. So it was completely different field. So of course, it helps me in real estate, it definitely was not something I was focused on right at all. So I mean, from a career path. I mean, when you graduate, what are you what are you doing? Let's go kind of some of the things. Because, I guess I tell everyone, I go on everyone's LinkedIn, so there's, there's this gap between graduating and starting real estate. So tell us a little bit some of the things you did there. I was a stay at home mom. I did a lot, I did work, and I did a lot of just community service items and things like that. And so I was basically, kind of focused on my kids at that point and just doing things of that sort, just staying involved with my kids. So it did wasn't until I kind of went through divorce, which, of course, doesn't, that's not fun. But going through that, I was like, Okay, what am I really gonna do? If, you know, and like, I need to figure out what my do and to support my kids, right? And so that's where, you know, people like, Hey, you should look at, you know, real estate, flexibility and time. And I was like, but you think that's the case, right? Not so much. Isn't that, like the number one desire, right? Flexibility, everyone laughs about all the time in the world. I'm like, Sure. So I was like, Okay, I thought about it. I'm like, Well, you know, it was interesting to me. I knew several people already in the field.

Stacy Darnell  5:00  
Old and, you know, I, let's give it a try. Let's, you know, so I take the test and I pass. I'm like, Whoa, let's get into this. And I'm like, well, nothing, what I, you know, it's like, not, not as easy.

Tracy Hayes  5:09  
Well, we definitely, we're definitely going to dig into the, yeah, you're shocked there, but you are not, you know, like I said, I'm over. This is episode 142, over 130 top real estate agent, many, many of the top ladies have been been on, and that is a common. One of the commonalities, and not for everyone, but has shown up, is was at home, but then the divorce happens, and now you or or they were working, but it wasn't, you know, obviously the primary income, and now you have to have to have your own primary go. You got to support your own household, let alone, you know your kids still in this situation. I mean, what kind of things went through your mind when that started to present itself as like, what you know, you haven't worked. We couldn't fill out the application for a mortgage because the last two years you haven't worked. Right type of thing.

Stacy Darnell  6:00  
I have nonprofit work, I have other things, but that's, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tracy Hayes  6:05  
Well, I mean, those are, those are credible too. But I guess, you know, obviously that shocked, and everyone gets that cold chill that goes through us, a little adrenaline, like, thing, like, oh my god, what am I gonna do? What are some different thoughts that you had you're based on your experience of, like, besides real estate, like, what were some other things that you might have done?

Stacy Darnell  6:25  
So I actually did work in fidelity financial for a little while, actually in the mortgage department, which kind of and so I've just done a lot of nonprofit work as well. I kind of organized a lot of drives and things like that, and dealt with the corporate offices and things like that. So I kind of have a vast variety of experiences, but nothing specific. Go into one specific field, right? And that was kind of a little difficult. Where am I going to go? What am I going to do?

Tracy Hayes  6:47  
Well, now looking back, you know, five and a half years in the real estate, I think, you know, of course, it amazes me, because we do have a lot of really young people entering the real estate field that are doing really well, and I think a lot of them attribute their their mentorship, where for you, some of that life experience, you know? I mean, what are some of the things you think you you know, some of the the the collateral benefits of of your experiences that you pulled from, you know, doing that volunteer work, and

Stacy Darnell  7:19  
it was the people being able to connect with people and talk, and just for me, it's all about helping people. That's just, I guess my passion with anything that I do is always about, how can I help people? How can I solve, you know, find a solution. Kind of solve a problem, right? That's kind of always been the theme in my life and career. So kind of just me into that with real estate,

Tracy Hayes  7:40  
yeah, you know, when you were like, figured you were going to answer that. I've been asked questions about that, but that's what I was trying to get out of you. In being a volunteer versus being an employee, you don't have there's no like, Hey, I'm trying to get a promotion out of this. I'm a volunteer. I'm here. Why not have fun, you know? And obviously one of the tractions for people to volunteer is simply just get out, meet people, right? And, I mean, in New York, you know, five and a half years, how much of that? I mean, if you think back, I don't know. I'm just hypothetically thinking you probably went back and went back in that sphere of people that you were creating through your volunteer work, say, Hey, I'm now a realtor.

Stacy Darnell  8:21  
Yeah, I did. I went back and just, you know, yeah, I had connections that was already in real estate, so I went back to that and kind of went back and I was heavy into church, went back into that field, kind of, you know, to pull on some of those resources as well, just people around me.

Tracy Hayes  8:34  
So let's just dig into the shock and awe that you got that you, you know, you took the test. You eventually your first brokerage was Keller Williams, which is, you know, a respectable, especially for young, new people. There's, there's more than, more training than any one person can handle there, yes, but what was your choice on Keller Williams? Did you have some sort of relationship with someone there? Who? How did you get hooked up there?

Stacy Darnell  9:02  
So I, I interviewed brokerages, which I suggest everybody do find your perfect fit, because, you know, just because, for me, it was Keller Williams, doesn't mean it's going to be that for everybody else, but I did, and for me, it's the broker. The broker really makes a difference. And it was Jen Henry. She was just phenomenal. Made a great connection, and she just kind of helped me, guide me as to who I am and what do I want to do and with life. And that's kind of what, what stuck and the education, for sure.

Tracy Hayes  9:28  
So from Jen, you just your conversation, obviously you got along. You had probably some commonalities there, what bonded you from that, from that standpoint, like, oh, this cool person, but how important is like to find that broker? Or it's not necessarily the broker themselves, but sometimes some of the stoppage that are almost like your in house coach, especially in that first six to 12 months, depending on what your learning curve is.

Stacy Darnell  9:52  
Yes, I think that, to me, that's crucial. I think that's probably the most important thing you can do is to find that person that can be that coach to you where you can I. Questions you can go to, you know, just because you take a test and you pass it, fantastic, but getting in is completely different. And so finding that person, really, I think, rushed me and propelled me forward.

Tracy Hayes  10:11  
All right, if you can remember five and a half years ago, you step in there, what are some initial things that you're did you have success early? Was it? Was it something, or you had a deal within a couple months? Or did you go

Stacy Darnell  10:25  
so no, you're bouncing around from class to class, and you're trying to figure it out. I'm making, I'm making cold calls, you know, you're calling for sale by owners and expireds. And you're like, I don't have any ideas what I'm talking about. You know, great, I just started real estate. You know, you don't know a lot, so you're doing all the things you're being told to do, you because you've got to get them to do action. You know, it's just getting out there and doing it. So you're making all these calls. You're, you know, you're getting shut down non stop, you know, you're just like, oh my gosh, am I ever gonna get anything? So, yeah, that, that first bit is just, you know, it's hard.

Tracy Hayes  10:54  
What is the killer Williams, bold, right?

Stacy Darnell  11:00  
It's phenomenal class, though. I'm telling you, really, it's like, I would say that's my foundation. Because you

Tracy Hayes  11:05  
don't even have to be with Keller Williams to do that, right? You don't have to. They allow anyone. It's just they kind of sponsored, or whatever, put someone together. But I know they have it every, at least once a year out here, yes, right? And you go for like, a solid week, six weeks, six weeks.

Stacy Darnell  11:20  
Oh, well, every day for six weeks, the whole day, once a week.

Tracy Hayes  11:24  
Okay, okay, that's all right. Yes, I've known some people have gone through it, but it really I mean, what? I mean? What? What kind of benefits? What did you see? Obviously, you must have gotten. I think a lot of people discount this when going to different events and being around like minded people, or at least people are trying to get the the energy good. I would imagine you did it five times because you you've got this positive Mojo coming out.

Stacy Darnell  11:49  
Yes, you definitely, it's definitely a mindset, and it's people you're around. It re energizes you, gives you fresh ideas. It's also learning you know you are your business, and so it's making you kind of grow as a person and learn who you are, and what benefits can you do to bring to other people. It's just overall, whole package is

Tracy Hayes  12:08  
not one thing. Did you get any deals out of those? Because you're making calls, right?

Stacy Darnell  12:12  
You're making calls like crazy, yeah. They send you off, and they're like, my calls. And you're just like, you know, why don't go through and figure out just numbers. So actually, not to say phone book, do not that. I'll show my age right there back in the day.

Tracy Hayes  12:27  
No, actually, I

Stacy Darnell  12:31  
didn't, you know, it was one of those things, like, you make all the calls, you do that, and I sent appointments, but nothing at that point had released come to fruit.

Tracy Hayes  12:40  
Yeah, correct, yeah, correct. So you're, you're at Keller Williams, you moved to some different brokerages now. Now you're at exp. Give us some, you know, kind of color, because we talked about matching up with the right broker, right? And I assume that's why you've moved several times, because what you thought was the value there? Either it was short lived or it wasn't there. But what is, give us some experiences. Assume we're talking to someone new right now, maybe hasn't gotten the business, or maybe someone who's been at the same brokerage for three or four years. And like is that the point of, should I continue doing this? I'm not growing now. Everyone will say you have to be self serving. That's understandable. There are some people that get it, but initially we try to surround ourselves by some people who know what they're doing. So hopefully we can shorten that learning curve so it isn't 510 years, because you're not going to last 510 years in this business, if you're not bearing fruit,

Stacy Darnell  13:40  
you have to keep growing consistently. And it's obviously people No, I would say initially. So I did join a team pretty soon after, drastically changed for me. That's really to me, changed everything was joining a team, because my learning and years was, like, shortened down. I just, I just kind of dug right in. Like, what can I learn? How fast can I learn? And that was probably the rocket taking off. From standpoints break down

Tracy Hayes  14:10  
the team for us, because what, what you got? Because obviously, everyone gets something different out of the team. I'm sure a lot of things are overlapping, but you know, again, you're talking to your girlfriend of yours approaches you about real estate, you'd probably say, Hey, I recommend you get started join a team.

Stacy Darnell  14:27  
Why? Well, I believe you can learn a lot faster you can. You know, there's just so much when you're out on your own in the very, very beginning, you're kind of just all over the place. You don't really know what to do. You know, where am I supposed to go? What do I do? I would say the team hyper focuses you and really tells you, here's the main points, and they just you learn so much faster. I think you learn by experience, probably faster than you do by books or in class, no, 100% so I believe that by watching and being in those transactions and the people around me, what are you saying? What are you doing? Do? Back to you learned,

Tracy Hayes  15:01  
well, the books are the books, and they're telling you something, but they I really believe our our brain is a library, and it doesn't know where to file that information away until you actually have you walk into that house. Oh, this is how you do this. I remember telling me, I should, you know, whatever it was took, but you don't know that until that phone conversation question arise. Oh, that's where that information's supposed to correct, and that's where we're lost. You have to have, you know, I tell every time you know people on the podcast all the time, I was in the call center for the first 12 years of my you know, nearly 18 years of being in the mortgage business those first 12 years, especially the first three, because I was actually in the call center, and long story of working from home the rest of the time. But I my my sword definitely dulled by not working in the call center. Right when you're in the call center one, you have already just natural kind of competition. Someone else got a deal. I gotta go. I gotta get one. I gotta get one. Right type of thing. But you're hearing the stories. And in our business, every single transaction, every single every single loan on my side is different, different incomes, you know, different they have different goals. You know, we're solving those problems. And unless you are hearing the stories, you know your your learning curve is short. Is longer, because would you agree? I mean, how many times you get started with a customer? I I'm talking to them about their finances, and they've got something screwy going on? Oh yes, yes. And now we got to solve it. We're halfway through this transaction. We find out that, you know, something has happened. Now we need to change loan products, or you got to negotiate repairs. There's bigger issues with the south than you know was originally.

Stacy Darnell  16:52  
I've learned to do all that up front now. So those are all things that, those are conversations that, instead of during the process, that happens up. So I've learned to kind of hedge everything off front I love that before I even get there. So that way I don't have these deals that fall apart. You know, there, of course, there's always gonna be challenges, you know, unless that happens, but not to that extent 100%

Tracy Hayes  17:13  
No, I want to dig into that right there. But why? Why? When did you actually kind of take that stand that that's the way you're going to run your business. I mean, imagine it's not the first six months. No, no, when did you in your, you know, your experiences and so forth. At what point you're like, you know what? My time is valuable, and I'm seeing the stuff going on, I'm going to kill

Stacy Darnell  17:36  
it front Yeah, I would say just that it was the beginning. I would say, just going through the deals and realizing and what I literally had my office and, like the mortgage company, the loan officers, and I just surrounded myself. And I said, you know, I learned everything I need to know about insurance, about the loan process, because a loan is really what can completely fall apart, you know? And that's a little crucial

Tracy Hayes  17:57  
if the right questions aren't asked up front, which is, a good loan officer is doing that already from, say, one,

Stacy Darnell  18:03  
but I do that now before they even get to the loan officer. So most times I know if they're qualified or not before they even get to I mean, I'm not qualified, I'm not licensed, but at least know the right questions to ask, to know ahead of time. And then that way I can hedge it off and I say, hey to loan officer. Okay, here's some things that might be going on. Definitely check let me know. And they can, very quickly, you know, find out, but I'm definitely asking those questions.

Tracy Hayes  18:26  
This is this part right here, because I think this, this is valuable lessons for anyone, anyone learning, whether you're new or you're three years into this business, whatever, to take command and control, because that's why they're hiring you. I just watched a video yesterday I actually posted on, on my on the podcast Facebook page, NAR is under this lawsuit, and they're suing them about, why should the sellers have to pay the buyer's agent, right? So forth. And so you got to the whole thing is, you know, why does one you got to bring your value to the table? Yes, you do. You're being paid nice, correct, correct? You know, yeah, you are doing a lot of work, but your value comes with taking that command. When that customer comes to you and says, Hey, I need your help to buy a home or sell a home, you're in charge. So one thing when I, especially when I have coffee with very new agents, and sometimes agents have been sort of tinkling on it for a little while. You know, they've got a few transactions, whether is, they are very afraid, and they use this financial questions they're afraid to ask them. But you're not really asking financial questions. You're asking very you're asking, well, you, well, you're, I mean, you're, but you're, you're, you're the questions that even the loan officers asking are, I want? I don't want to say broad. Broad's not the very but they're, they're surface level, because when they do, I say yes to one of those questions. Oh, yes, I've had a bankruptcy. Oh, okay, let's take a look at the when was it, right? You know, what was included? Did you have a house included in that bankruptcy? Right? You know? And then you could dig, dig deeper into it. But just by having, I would imagine you've gotten, I'm going to assume my way it takes when I assume, but I'm going to assume you just have a conversation with them, and in this conversation, like you and I are having things come out. Yeah, you know. So what are, how do you set up that conversation? If you're, you're teaching someone that's on your team how to have this upfront conversation to kind of expose any possible future, you know, bombs going off, you know, tell walk us through that. Well, just, I mean, I

Stacy Darnell  20:27  
start asking them, like, what are they looking for? What's their goals and the purpose, you know, and searching for them, if they're looking to to buy. And from there, I'm like, hey, you know what? We just want to dig in. I just want to make sure that, you know, I'm sending you houses that you're actually qualified for. You know, I'm going to send you over to send you over to a loan officer to kind of look at those items. But I just have a few questions, you know, you know, you know, have you had it? Is this your first time? Have you had a bankruptcy or foreclosure? Okay? Or it'd be, you know, are you 1099 or a W, you know, w2 you know, oh gosh, you're 10 Nine, okay, how long have you had that? You know, I've come several were like, Oh no, it's only been a year, okay, well, we need those two years to qualify you, but, you know, I'm gonna send you over just in case. Let's get you, you know, just let alone us something, but at least it gives them. I don't want to promise them everything, and then it happens. So I I'm very realistic with them, and I try and go over good some questions before I send them over

Tracy Hayes  21:23  
from your experience. Now, you've been, you know, doing this. Imagine for several years now, getting and probably getting more bold, you know, because I think, I think there are people that don't do it because they're afraid to ask the questions, or it could be because they don't know what to do with the answer, so they don't ask the question that way. You know, they're given an answer, they don't know what to do. Which, I can understand that part part two. But you were hanging around the loan officers over there, you're starting to see why it's understandable to under, you know, hey, yeah, did they just start their 1099, three months ago, right? Or, you know, had a gentleman not too long a month ago or so application, and he, you know, great paying job sales guy, but he kept changing jobs every, you know, six months, and then he had this real job, whereas, you know, his employers tell him, yeah, you can make 120,000 I said, Well, how much is your base? He said, 100 Well, no, he was paid a little bit during the training period, but after the trainings over a month or two, boom, you're 100% commission, bro. So that ain't that ain't flying because, you know, again, it was changed industries, still sales, but he changed industries, which not gonna help us out. Yeah? So understanding some of those things apart, but I think even just the simplest one is like, How much money do you have available to make this transaction happen, right? Because, you know, some of those other things, yeah, the loan officer can pick up. And if you're, you know, Stacy's been doing a little while. She's, she's bold, you know, she's, she's not 25 years old. She's, you know, can have a conversation with that, with other adults. And I understand everyone's in a different position. But like, one of the basic questions I think every real estate agent should ask is not just, Well, how much you plan to put down is how much money you have available for this transaction, because you will find people say, yeah, they put 20% down. They're buying a $500,000 home, and they have $99,000 in the bank, and they're waiting for their next paycheck to make the $100,000 down payment. Right, right? So it it really in would you and I'm talking through this, it starts to add, I think it adds a little credibility when you know how to have that conversation.

Stacy Darnell  23:30  
Oh, for sure, for sure. And the more you talk and get more knowledge is power, and the more you know, okay, she really knows what she's talking about. And here I can help you, right? You know. And also, you know, hey, if you're, you know, making that 40,000 I'm so sorry you can't $300,000 house, you know, things like that, you know, or I've had people like, they're millions, you know, they make millions. And I'm fine, I'm fine, we'll just keep doing this. And I'm like, in your bank account, you know, your tax return doesn't make anything, you know, it doesn't mean they pay their bills. No, that's true. There's so many things that go into it.

Tracy Hayes  24:03  
Yeah, they think someone else is paying their bills for them, and they're not being paid on time. And, oh, I've seen, yeah, I've seen

Stacy Darnell  24:09  
so many crazy scenarios.

Tracy Hayes  24:11  
But cash can help you get out of some areas, because obviously someone who's willing to put money down can cover some boo boos and knowing that sort of thing where you were just talking there, another thought came to my head, and maybe we'll come back to me. I do this all the time because I didn't want to interrupt you in your conversation. But the credibility, the credibility piece, I think, is important, you know, I haven't, you know, again, talking to over 130 top agents, and a Lisa approved just last week, talking about, as I cut one of her reels out, you know, talking about that credibility piece allows you to have the tough conversations with them later on. Maybe you, you know, maybe how it's do the initial offer, or maybe we got to repair and, yeah, you got to have that tough conversation like, you know, don't, don't push it in. Further or, yeah, make that repair. We're gonna lose this deal technically. Yeah, exactly. Because I think the average agents going through it, and they're again, afraid that, but they, if they just take some time, sit down with the loan officer. All of the loan officers are calling you all the time. You're you're doing, go and have coffee with them and ask them, what's gonna what are some questions, like you're saying, what happens if they're, they they're just, what, 1099, three months ago? What? What? What can we do if they're they just got enough for the down payment? That's a common one. Most, lot of, I wouldn't say rookie agents, or just did, they didn't ask the question of how much money they had. And, you know, they know, well, okay, they got FHA, they're going to do three and a half percent down. But did you ask them about closing costs? Right? You know, how is that going to how are you going to structure that deal? I have had situations, unfortunately, doesn't happen a lot, where they wrote the deal up, didn't ask for any seller concessions, and then I'm like calling the agent, going, where do they come up with the rest of did you I mean, there was no conversation of how much you know, you know they got. The other part, we need some seller concessions to make this happen. Now, you're going back, right? That's want to do that? Yeah? You don't, you don't want to do that today. You can kind of get away with it, because the appraisal, you know, five or 6000 on the appraisal, you might get it on most homes, yeah, so you add that to the deal and then cut it back. Yes, might get lucky. But there's been other times where, you know, telling them where the mark, the market condition is. We talked about where you you know, where you chose your first year under Jen Henry. So what is Jen Henry having you do? I mean, you like right away first day you're working under Jen right? Yes, all right. So what, what are two or three things she has you doing right away to get your business started the first, I'm talking the first 30 days you're in the business.

Stacy Darnell  26:44  
Oh gosh. Well, we're supposed to be writing down our, like, all of our contacts, all the people like our sphere, things like that, making phone calls. Just say, Hey, I'm in the business. You know, this is what I'm doing now, you know, if you know anybody who's looking to buy or sell or invest in real estate, you know, give me a call. I can help you things like that. Just kind of getting our name out there. It's also getting around to note the vendors and people around it, you know, the businesses wise, you know, for inspections or insurance or, you know, law officers and things like that within the community, things of that sort. So she just has us like, there's daily tasks, though.

Tracy Hayes  27:14  
Do you have? You see, now you've been doing this five and a half years. You train people. You've mentored people. Some of them have a little hard time even making that call to their friends and family. They do. You know, I have some really experienced agents that I've had on and so they regret not reaching out sooner to their sphere. What are some of the challenges they have in making that phone call?

Stacy Darnell  27:35  
So I had that problem in the very beginning. I had, I had a hard time making those conversations, because I felt like I was selling, I don't, I do not like to sell. Like, I don't like sales people. Like, I literally don't like sales people. So it's funny, because I was like, how am I doing this? I'm selling something. And I was like, gosh, I don't want to have since they're like, the only reason I'm calling you is because I'm trying to see if you want to buy or sell a house, you know. And I or No, someone does. Somebody does. But at the same time, I'm like later, I realized that I'm trying to help them, and this is a conversation. This isn't me not trying to like, Hey, let me hard sell you. I'm having a conversation with a friend. And if I look at it that way, it's the mindset a little bit different. And I'm going into it, maybe pure motives, I guess, because I really do want to help these people. And so if I can turn it around in my head, I think it was like, just talked. And the more I talked, and you know, I'm like, hey, well, this is what I'm doing. If you know, I can definitely help you. And again, the more I knew, the more knowledge I had, I was able to talk to them more. Then that's where I all of a sudden, people say, oh, yeah, I'm looking but, you know, I'm not so sure about this. I'm like, Yeah, and I would just have a conversation. Instead of trying to sell them, I would start to give them value. And they go, Well, actually, yeah, we'd love to. And then it progress,

Tracy Hayes  28:43  
all right, so you, you recruit a new office, the new new realtor to the Jax team. They're kind of, how would you walk that person through? You know, if they had that initial new block like you had, how would you handle that today in getting someone to warm up scripts.

Stacy Darnell  29:02  
I know it sounds bad, but scripts that helped me learning just some scripts, because it led me to something to fall back on, and then you kind of create it to make it your own, but at least, kind of gives you somewhere to start from. And those are just it kind of gets your mind going and just in the frame of reference.

Tracy Hayes  29:19  
Okay, now you know that opens another can worms. I know, for some challenge of scripts, but I will, I will tell you one of the top I'm like, What is hopefully, if she's listening or making this real. But who was it to? Told me that they learn the scripts like the back of their hand. Oh no. They practice and practice some practice them and made them their own. Yes, and I think I have a challenge. I remember I battled that in the call center, because they were big on scripts. And, you know, I just, I'm reading this and I'm knowing the guy who wrote the script. I'm like, Dude, you never really said it this way, right? And they sometimes they do sounds a little corny, or whatever. They're all corny, all of them. Yeah. Yeah, but you got to make them your own. You do, and you make it part of you, and practicing and practicing and practicing of them was this, it's going to come to me, but the had her on the show, and that's what she said. She learned those scripts, learned those scripts, and, you know, so that, yeah, so that gave someone who doesn't have a lot of knowledge. I'm always we were talking about the brain. You got to have something a wall to stick it on, and at that point you don't have anything to stick it on. You're in this free space. But learning the scripts hopefully gives you some kind of because you can't learn everything about real estate. I mean, you could go to, you know, sit there every day for eight hours a day for three or four months to really and then graduate and still not know everything about real estate.

Stacy Darnell  30:44  
You're going to learn something every day, always, no matter how long you're in the business,

Tracy Hayes  30:48  
every situation that pops up in front of us, every title, right? Every you know, every home is different, and so forth. So the scripts, okay? So that that was you said something else, though I wanted to also dig into because you, you really opened a Pandora's Box, source feed. She throws the scripts in front of you. You start plowing through that. You're sticking to it because you have, obviously credibility. Jen has credibility right now in your space the, I guess the question I was asking, how do you, how can you shorten someone's learn learning curve? What is it? You know, we don't we don't know what we don't know, right? So they're sitting there making these phone calls, like you said, it's not really a sales call, as I often have done it different times i you're kind of looking through that person at least, at least make the I'm not selling. You do you know someone you know? Because obviously, why I'm asking if they know someone who wants to sell, they're now realizing I'm telling them I'm a real estate agent, right? There's the other way to do it, yeah, so you're making some phone calls. What are some other things that she has you doing here?

Stacy Darnell  31:53  
Well, we door knock, pass out flyers, just try and talk to people in the community. How'd you feel about that? I love door knocking, to be honest. Funny, because, you know, most times, most agents are like, door knocking, no, I don't want to. I loved it was out in front people just, Hey, I just wanted to meet you. And like, you know, I just, it's a flyer that's just information. It's about the neighborhood. It's not I'm trying to buy or sell anything to me. It was like, I'm just providing you some value. Here's what's going on in your neighborhood. And so I would just pass them out and just talk to them.

Tracy Hayes  32:18  
So would you just go out in the middle of the week, and kind of blanket or what wasn't necessarily around an open house, you just

Stacy Darnell  32:24  
correct neighbor. I mean, I would pick a neighborhood right, and that would be what I would what I would

Tracy Hayes  32:30  
farming has come up. I've seen it numerous times this week, for some reason I know is one of the a couple that, because I'll go back through these videos and cut reels out and and then I'll realize a lot of you know not that I'm not that I'm not listening initially, but I'll obviously start hearing common themes, because I'm I'm actually digging out these statements and so forth in in farming a particular neighborhood. I know you follow Josh Rogers, Josh. Josh is very good at Austin preck is is he? He has his neighborhood. I think they're both. I am so tempted as a loan officer just to do it, because I see neighborhoods that are not being farmed and I'm like, well, I already do a bunch of video anyway, I can just do it exactly, and then I now I have leads that I can hand out to real estate agents, right? It makes me more valuable, right? From that standpoint, how important I mean, are you working any neighborhoods now, or do you coach it? What are the benefits? What are you Josh and Austin seeing from farming a particular neighborhood and really focusing on that, whether, you know, 500 to, I think, I don't know what's in Beacon lakes. They're probably, you know, three or 4000 homes. I mean,

Stacy Darnell  33:37  
obviously they have great success, and that's just, that's their niche and what they do. And be honest, I don't farm. That was something I started in the very beginning, and I always go back, like I should be farming, and I'm just That's, for some reason, not, not been necessarily my niche. And so I've just focused on what's mine, you know? You find out what are you really, really good at, and stick with it, you know? And I think you have to kind of find those couple pieces. And that it's been phenomenal. You know, well, you

Tracy Hayes  34:03  
mentioned something there, finding something you're good at, again, something we talk about a lot on the show, because the top agents are, you know, whatever that thing, whatever that marketing thing is, it might be knocking on doors, if that's your thing, then you need to, you know, 10 exit how this is, I imagine you find your niche through some trial and error. Talk about that path for you. What are some things that you did that like, Yeah, I'd never you know it works for John Smith over there, but it doesn't work for me.

Stacy Darnell  34:32  
Yeah. I mean, I love I love the door knocking. I love the farming. That just never stuck. I would say what stuck for me was the one thing I was probably the worst at it was making phone calls. I hated to make the phone calls, especially people I did not know, and being thrust into a team, it was like, here, make calls, and now you're answering and having to talk to a bunch of people you don't know and you don't know you, and now you've got to convince them that you're an amazing agent. And you know, Hey, pick me. You know, kind of. And, like, No, I want to be like the best of this. I really want to do really well with this. And so I thrust in it, and I just took it and ran with it. And it's just something that's

Tracy Hayes  35:08  
just, well, dig a little deeper. I mean, we talked about a little bit, you know, you mentioned scripts, so you made a decision that you were going to overcome this fear, you know, it's really what it is, yeah, the fear of the rejection or whatever. What are some things you did while you weren't on the phone to get you better? When you're on the phone

Stacy Darnell  35:27  
constantly, and it's, it's script and role playing, you're constantly like you say, just script, so you're obviously trying to make it your own. But when you're conversing with another agent, and they're throwing different things back at you, and you know, it's not just the same thing, it's like, they'll throw a different objection in there. Oh, I have to figure out how to handle that one. That's a new question I haven't heard of, and so that kind of just made me a little bit better at what I did.

Tracy Hayes  35:50  
Now, when you do it, you have enough transactions under your belt, you probably obviously don't need to practice nowhere near if you even practice anymore, you're the other person in the role playing, working there because you've had enough conversations now, you've had enough transactions that any question they come at you, even if it was a question you've never heard before, you now know how to catch and redirect correct to where it went. That that's the tip to to everyone out there. There are some teams that that's all they do. Some of the biggest production teams, their phone, phone, phone. Least they want to have DJ. And Lindsay Brittany was on it this, I think it was, I want to say 20 conversations a day. They want to have. They want you to have 20 conversations a day talking to someone about real estate, you and I. That doesn't sound like a lot right now. Just a yo, hey, just walk in a grocery store and there's you can knock out five right there. Or go do your volunteer work, or, let alone, you know, go socialize at a happy hour. You can talk, talk to 20 basically, obviously, hopefully, hand out 20 cards, or obviously, if you're over the phone, you send them an email so they have your contact information and so forth. So Jen, Henry's there with you. Initially, you're you're moving on. You you find some other mentors, and you've changed brokerage. Let's give me another give me someone else that took your game and another, level. Not that whatever the you know, Jen's relationship, you know, imagine you guys are still friendly, whatever, five and a half years later. But eventually, you know, you move along and you find that mentor, it's going to spin you to the next step in your career.

Stacy Darnell  37:33  
Tell us about some of those. To be honest, it's been, I would just people throughout the kind of propelled me and took me to the next level. Because there's just, there's just, there's certain levels within state you go, and so, you know, I go from there and then join the team. And that definitely propelled me forward. And then it's just just, you're constantly trying to find people for me. I ended up just saying, You know what, I need to learn as much as possible. And I started listening to tons of podcasts, tons of audibles. How can I grow and learn and be the best, not just in real estate, per se, but as a person. You know, as you grow as a person, you your business grows. And so the more I did, just in my own learning and being around the right people, and, you know, just the right mindsets, and that's I just started to propel my guess myself at that point, just going forward, well, you

Tracy Hayes  38:17  
said a word there. Mindset. How would you describe, you're talking to a bunch of new agents, or whatever, new team members, and you're talking about mindset. How do you describe the mindset that you think they need to be in?

Stacy Darnell  38:35  
Be difficult is going to be hard. I know for me, every single morning I wake up, and that's the first thing I work on, is my mindset. So that's why I'm listening to something positive. I'm putting my, you know, podcast on, or an audible on. I'm doing something that's just empowering who I am. Because, you know, it's easy to go through the day and allow circumstances or people influence who we are and how we are and how we you know, let's say react. But if you start your morning off being purposeful, you know, be purposeful in everything you do. And then if you start your morning off like that, then anybody that comes in, they're like, No, I'm going to influence you. You're not going to influence, you know, and just going in the positive direction, you know, being a negative. Say, Well, how can I turn that to a positive? How can I learn from this? How can I grow? How can I things

Tracy Hayes  39:19  
like that, you I mean, with the social media, you know, obviously we're carrying our computer in our hands. We have access to anything and everything that we want. We want to turn on motivational stuff we can we want to turn on, you know, some of the news and just, you know, gets us even more frustrated for what's going on. We could do that, and we get our entire day goes by the amount of time that we spend there. But yeah, that choice, not the choice to stay away. You maybe think I've interviewed Heather Monahan, and she, if you saw that episode, or I don't, ran out of her books. I need to get more of her books. But she talks about. About in your getting rid of the villains you know in your in your life now, you went through a divorce, so you met you imagine there had, there was some villains around you at that time. Have you noticed yourself? Kind of, what did you do? I mean, to share with some of the other ladies been in your kind of same shoes, which is that it's not uncommon in our business. As I said earlier, what did you do to get away from some of the villains in your life that were dragging you down?

Stacy Darnell  40:29  
I mean, that's I have a hard time, because I love people and I want to be nice to everybody. I think you have to realize, like, Well, you're in my life for maybe a season, and maybe that season's over. Maybe because you're outgrowing them, it's time to move on, you know, just slowly, kind of distance yourself and move on and find the right group of people that you need to be around to help you continue to grow, right, you know? And sometimes you grow out of them, or sometimes you need something different, and that's okay. It's not, you know, anything bad on them. It's not saying you're a horrible person. It's just saying it's not what I need right now, or I need something different in my life. And so from there, I just need to, you know, distance myself. It's not that I can't ever say hey, or, you know, I'm going to be mean or anything like that, but it's just saying, hey, you know, I need to spend time, and, you know, maybe with a different people, and some of them are family members, and some of them are family members. I love my sister, but, you know, I had to kind of maneuver away from her. She was just not at that point in time. I was like, you know, distance a little bit.

Tracy Hayes  41:22  
Did that change over time with your success and realizing that, hey, this is what I'm doing. I'm going to be a real estate agent. I'm going to out here. I'm going to run my own life. I'm in type of, do you see their attitude eventually tip, or some of them still? No, you can't have them back.

Stacy Darnell  41:39  
No. I mean, it tipped. I mean, it changes. You know, I still have relationship with everybody. It's just, you know, how far in Are you all out? And so that's why I've learned to learn the boundaries and saying, you know, some people can be out here and some people can be in here, and that's, that's okay.

Tracy Hayes  41:56  
Hey, folks, this episode was produced by streamline media, the number one media company for helping brands generate content that converts. I knew I wanted to start a podcast to reach more people and bring value to the world, but I did not have the time or the knowledge. Streamlined. Media became my secret weapon to building my show. They handle all my back end work, production and strategies to keep my show going strong. If you're in the real estate business and looking to make content that generates more leads and brings in more revenue, check out the streamline media link in the show notes and discover how partnering up can supercharge your path to real estate excellence. What are you've worked under several brokerages. Now you're with exp, and now you're you're all team leaders. You know, obviously your your your broker, so to speak, is virtual, all the different technology you guys are seeing that, but they're not in an office that you can go and touch and and touch them or anything like that. So this is a different relationship going on your other but over your course, you've had several different brokerage you've obviously interacted with other agents, no other agents and brokers. What are two or three things you think that makes a successful broker in the standard office situation? I know we're we're stepping out of EXP a little bit from that, from that thing, or it might even be what makes a successful team lead? What are two or three things you think that really needs to be in the foundation of those or are in the foundation of those successful people?

Stacy Darnell  43:29  
Gosh, I think that's going to be different for everybody. But I think you have to find kind of your tribe. I think no matter what brokerage is, it has to be mindset. It's got to be in alliance with your goals and your values, your beliefs, you know, it had that has to align. If it doesn't, then you need to find the one that does. And you need to find what clicks, you know. And sometimes I think people are looking now, some people change brokerages because they're just they think that it's the broker is not making me successful. Well, I'm so sorry. That's not it. You've got to succeed wherever you are. It's you got to put the hard work, unless

Tracy Hayes  44:00  
that broker is the negative person that's bringing you down.

Stacy Darnell  44:02  
Bringing you down, you know, and I'm not, I'm not into all those brokerages, so I don't know. I don't claim to know. It could be, you know, maybe you do need to step away from that. Maybe it's not necessarily the right environment for you. But I just know, for me, it's, you know, just continuing to grow and learn and just keep going and moving forward. Right?

Tracy Hayes  44:17  
Another thought to swim through my head, oh, you're just, you're triggering off so many let's talk about, you know, what you're what are you the you have the Jax team. Talk about, what are your what's your goals? Where are you at now, and where you know, what is your goal for 23 what is your imagine you guys are, you know, also talk about five year goals, or whatever. What? What are you envisioning? Where do you want to take

Stacy Darnell  44:40  
your business? You know, it's funny, because in the very beginning, the goal was always, like, maybe more centered around my numbers, or around that, you know, money mark and things like that, of course, that it plays into the real estate game. You know, in a sense, I think for it's more, how many people can I help? How many agents can I help? How many people can. I come contact with them daily basis to help change their life, that they can then go impact somebody else. Think that's become maybe more my purpose. You know, I love what I do, absolutely lovely do. Of course, I need to be have to sustain myself and my children, you know, things like that. But it's also the purpose part, I think plays a huge role in that. So for me, it's not necessarily, do I have this gigantic number my head, or I want this gigantic team, or anything like that. No, it's about, how many people can I help change, or how many people can I, you know, impact, if it's regardless, to, you know, customers, or maybe that's other agents, you know, I just want to be able to pour into other people and help them succeed in life. And that's kind of my that's our tag is, you know, moving your life forward. Because I want people to help people move their life forward in every direction.

Tracy Hayes  45:42  
All right, let's bring that back around. You have this is, that's how you want to run your your your business, and your vision of what your you know, your ideology of how you're and you just you're, you figure, if you go through that this successful, you know, financial success, or whatever, whatever whatever that is. Everyone's a little different there where they feel, but you'll get what you want if you provide that. How do you sell that on the front end? How do you get that out there to everyone? Or what are you doing? Have you found this? Well, maybe, I don't think anyone's found the secret sauce yet. I mean, that little just like, you know, there's touch it and, you know, turns the gold, because we're always moving around. But what are, how ways that you're getting that out there in to let everyone know that I think

Stacy Darnell  46:31  
it's by personal relationship. You know, I started off and I succeeded. I kind of excelled really fast. Kind of took a step back to kind of say, How do I want to lay out my business? What I want that to look like in the future. And since kind of honing in on that, you know, it's starting to come in like crazy. It's, it's relationships that matters more. It matters more to me. And with that success comes, it comes, I don't have to search for it. You know, it's people refer non stop and, you know, things like that. I think they, they find you. They realize that, you know, okay, this is a genuine person who knows what she's doing. You doing, you know, and they actually like, are on my side, and they're gonna listen to me and, you know, things like that. I think that's more important.

Tracy Hayes  47:09  
Okay, so if I'm hearing this correctly, you've really like, and I use this term the other day to with Lisa Pruitt, you slowed your your you slowed the game down. So you're you, so that customer that's in front of you is the most important person that that 3045, days, they are a number one. Hopefully you're handling two or three people at that, but you that person is in the most, and that is how you're by pouring into them, giving them the you know, you know, it's great to say, I want to give great customer service. But what does that actually mean, right? And you but what you're seeing is, because you're pouring into, you're focused on that individual client through the entire process, you're setting them up with the right lender, setting them with the right home inspector, you're controlling because that's what they're really paying you for. They may not say that, but I think, I think a lot of people underestimate that part, that is what they're paying you for. Control the situation. Obviously you will have, you know, that customer that wants to, you know, feel like they're in control. But I'm sure you found ways to, obviously, as we all do, make them fake during

Stacy Darnell  48:26  
natural and you are Yeah. Have to be Yeah.

Tracy Hayes  48:30  
And at the end of that, that transaction, you go to that closing table, the smiles on their face, that is so those people have been pouring back to you with the referral business,

Stacy Darnell  48:42  
yes, and that's just where now it's coming in like crazy. It's just, I'm like, I literally got three the other day, just referrals. Hey, I got somebody, I got somebody, got something. So they're coming in like crazy. Like, I necessarily have to think, I mean, I thank God for that. It's, I believe it's because I've just focused in more, and it's more on the value and purpose and the people that matters.

Tracy Hayes  49:01  
We go back to controlling, controlling the controlling the process, controlling from the start. I think, you know, I would imagine, if you're not already training, that you should, I think I found a lot of real estate agents. And you can ask, I think any loan officer, there are some real estate agents that have total control, and then there's other real estate agents that couldn't refer a good restaurant. Yes, a good hamburger down. Yes, I don't. I cannot. I don't. I'm a referral person. I want if someone, if you have something that you need done, I love when people you know put up on Facebook. Hey, I'm looking for a really good because obviously someone put up the other day. I'm looking for a really good mover, and I know we have several, you know, there's, there's a few, but it's great they're asking for that, because the fraud and moving right now is huge coming out of New Jersey. That I hear is the fraud is crazy. People losing their all their belongings to these companies, and it's been. Held hostage and so forth. Actually, just that reminds me, I need to get my moving company that that I'm friends with, because I like, you know, I refer them business. They live in my neighborhood too, so I know them personally. They own the franchise and so forth. But you have to create those relationships with those people as well, and then that way it will make it easier for you to refer that person. Oh, you've broken bread with them, had lunch with them, whatever you meet at different events. Or I always like, you know, my people, I refer if I have something going on, where I can bring them in, and they can be a small sponsor, whatever they're the first people I'm calling because I want, I want to be around those people, you know, in that team. And I think a lot of agents are, aren't taking advantage of the fact that there are people who, yeah, they they want your referral, but if you're doing a little ice cream truck in the neighborhood, call your referral partners and say, Hey, can you pitch in whatever amount of money? Right? Most of them will pay for you. Just stand there and look good, right? Right, exactly. Yeah. And they miss out on that because it's just again, it's just a phone call away. But yeah, they just have a hard time referring therefore, therefore they don't control the transaction, and therefore you and then, and you know, of course, we hear the horror stories later. This person, they went with that person. They didn't do this. They didn't do that. This closing got delayed or whatever, correct. Yeah, talk a little bit about you've been doing it long enough you've been around obviously, you're in an office with loan officers. How important you know the other people do? The Home Inspector, insurance, yes, I see a lot of agents. Don't even I refer insurance. I do. I control it. I just immediately send out an email. I need a quote for this person right here, and I start the conversation, and I can walk away at that point. But how important, you know, in that control to have those, those people at your fingertips, that are in your circle, your your sport vendors,

Stacy Darnell  51:52  
that's the first thing I do is, of course, getting qualified. You know, I tell them talk to somebody, but I also say I've got somebody I can send you. You know, it's always good to shop around. You know, this way you can compare. I want them to see for themselves. I don't want them just just to take my word for it, you know, I know they're going to absolutely love who I'm working with, and that they're going to give them the best deal possible, you know, because we're going to break it down, we're going to show you everything. We're completely wide open and transparent. I don't sit here and try and hide anything. Here's everything in front of you. I'm sorry. Them to see everything and then for them to choose, you know, more 99% of time, you know, they'll go with the person I've referred. But yeah, because I've, you know, I just, I picked that person who I talked to. We have open line communication. Like, you pick the phone when I call, when I text, hey, I got a question I need, or that, you know, customers like, hey, you know, I have a question and what's going on, they'll answer. You know, I need somebody who's gonna be responsive.

Tracy Hayes  52:41  
You just gave me add this to my virtual the sense of urgency. Yes, the above and beyond. Yes, an agent who's regularly, you know, well, I mean, any agent calls, most loan officers are going to jump. I know there's a there's a thing in our industry right now where there's a lot of inexperienced loan officers that haven't even been in the business a year and haven't even written a dozen loans. They're going off on their own. And the real estate agents who are listening, you need to pay attention to who those people are. You can find out how much experience I go on the MLS thing and look them up, and they'll tell you how many years they've been in, who they work for, and there's a lot of that going on. So they no longer. It's great. It's good to work. You know, the work with a new loan officer who's giving you a lot of attention, who has a sales manager behind them, right? Great, you know? And there's, there's a few of those, but a lot of them are going off. I mean, I've, I've had the biggest wholesaler in the country call me and ask me if I want to start my own brokerage by myself, just because that's what they're pushing now, because that's what the current market is. I could do it because I know people to call when I don't know the answer, because I don't know all the answers, but I also know what stinks and what doesn't stink, right? And you don't want to be three weeks in the transaction and find out something stinks. They really should have known day one, exactly that type of but where was going. But it's the the sense of urgency, and I think the above and beyond service you're you just calling some whatever at some because now with the well, has this has it's not new. Whenever your credits pull for a mortgage, it goes, it's sold off to all these guys. And now there's a lot of them out there, right? A lot of these guys are working from home. They're actually buying these leads now so they so you're going to get, you know, some people say 20, I don't know, at least 10, if not more random blind phone calls saying, I can give you a better rate. I can give you a better rate. It's like any product, the less you sell it for, the less service they can give you. And a lot of these guys are sitting there, they're processing your own loans. And they're, you know, you I've got processors. You know, some of the good companies I brag about mine, they take that. They they know more than I do. They really do. They because they're, they're, they're sitting, are there at a desk all day long, dealing with 20 transactions a month or whatever, or warrant. But above and beyond service, that's what. You're giving this loan officer is going to give you above and beyond service right from get go, because I'm referring you, they want to please me. You're just right now, currently a random customer, but because I'm referring you, you're gold to them, and they want to please me as a real estate agent. So now, so they're going to go above and beyond for you. So you will tell me how great they were. You know, I think that that's reality, and I think a lot of people miss that part of the conversation when they're referring, yeah, a part of it. And the other thing I've been telling agents lately, stop this, telling them you got to give them three people you, if I you, I've talked to the top agents. I've talked to more top agents than anyone in town, and I will tell you right now, you discredit yourself. Yeah, because when they ask you, who's the best, give them the best. Now when this is what I always tell them as a loan officer, when you get the contract, which might be tomorrow, might be three weeks from now, three months, then it's time to make a couple other phone calls and ask them what kind of interest rate you're getting if their interest rates better than the one they're quoting you on the same day. Simply give them, send that loan estimate over to them and say, Hey, this is what they're giving you, because they could charge you. There is no manager in town. Yeah, there's no loan officer. Can only go so far. Their manager can take the pricing exception and take the lost, or whatever, the perceived loss in that and match to get the deal. Trust me, they want the deal right now. You have the best interest rate and you have the best loan officer and everything's happy. That's how you get the best deal.

Stacy Darnell  56:34  
Yeah, I say not just the interest rate, because they can be charging you. Oh, yeah, that interest rate. So I'm like, okay, great. Where's the back end? Where's a whole Loan Estimate sheet? I'm like, that's what we need to see. Let's get that Yes, exactly.

Tracy Hayes  56:44  
Well, yeah, trust me, I worked for three years with a builder's lender in town. I won't mention names, but the people that know me know there, but that was the thing. They were covering the closing costs. So it's like, okay, they never could beat the builders deal. It's set up that way. They set it up that way so that you cannot. They want to capture, they really want to capture 100% correct? You know, there they were capturing, on average, 90 plus other finance deals. You know, because they set it up to death. Set up that way. You can't beat it. So, all right, you're building a team. Yeah, I assume you have a number of a goal. Do you have a goal this year? What are you doing? From recruitment wise? Are you just doing it organically

Stacy Darnell  57:25  
right now? It's just been more organic again, back and I kind of, like, laid my foundation, I should say, the one thing I didn't have when I grew really fast with, like, a foundation, I was like, Okay, great. If I have all these, you know, leads and and customers and things like that, you know, how do I service them the best? Okay, fine, I can give them that service right? That second you get so busy, though, you get super busy, like, but how do I continue to service them? And I realized I'm like, I for me, the foundation wasn't quite what I wanted,

Tracy Hayes  57:54  
processes and systems, process and systems

Stacy Darnell  57:57  
all down to that, and I didn't have that. I just kept growing. It was going so fast that I just not keep up. And didn't really build what I wanted to build.

Tracy Hayes  58:05  
It would get to a point and spill over. And then, yeah, to start out, that was just so busy, you know.

Stacy Darnell  58:09  
And then I was like, wait a minute, like, because I really care about these people, and I really want to make sure that they're doing our well, you know, well, and what's happening? Do you need to sell or buy again? Or, do you, you know, well, do you know interest rates change? You want to get that just things. Is there anything going on the house? Do you need somebody a recommendation for something? What's going on in life? Oh my gosh, you just had a baby, you know, things like that. So I started realizing that, you know, I was just so busy, go, go, go, go with the business, and I wanted to create that foundation. And so that's why I kind of built that foundation. So right now, it's, it's definitely growing organically. And, you know, yes, there's some goals, but I really wanted to make sure I had that foundation set, and to know that I can service that on a personal level,

Tracy Hayes  58:48  
very common challenge. And I imagine, you know, Josh has reached this level, you know? But number one thing you know, when do you when do you bring on kidnaps as you should bring on an assistant first, because a lot of the things that you just rattled off to me were, you know, the different follow up, the different, you know, whether you're sending out an email or a text or a card or whatever, those are not really income producing now, hopefully they're, They're, you're chumming the water. Jumps the water, the captain doesn't jump the water, correct. So, yeah, how, where are you at there, and what? What challenges? Because I think this is very, very common for every agent that's out here.

Stacy Darnell  59:33  
So I definitely, you know, for me, it was bringing on that transaction coordinator to handle transaction process. And I have one, she's phenomenal, very customer service and oriented, and she's licensed as well, so she takes over that part, keeps communication with all of us involved, and we're very open. And from there, you know, it's then hiring somebody to do that, you know, just like you said, that assistant that's going to maybe send out the cards, or send out, you know, the emails, or. Certain automation, things you can do, but it's also like, it's being your list, like, hey, this person had a birthday, you know, give them a call, you know. So there's definitely systems and processes and then bringing me in somebody to kind of help you

Tracy Hayes  1:00:10  
with, right, yeah. And I know Andrew Michael. He's used, you know, there's virtual assistants all around the world that are, that are doing especially inexpensively. I mean, when you reach a level where you want to physically put someone in your your office, but, you know, sometimes you you got to make that stretch. And obviously putting someone on a payroll is a stressful situation. You're like, am I gonna I'm doing good now, but what if I don't have a good month, and then I still gotta write that check, right? So you got to build that build to that point, but that I know one of the biggest challenges of every agent is they reach that point. It's like I just physically can't do any more. I need to dump some of this administrative stuff off, or someone who's actually going through the birth dates and saying, Hey, you have three birthdays today. You need to make three phone calls which you can make while you're driving between listings, or

Stacy Darnell  1:01:02  
whatever, exactly. And that's I have an admin too, so I have Courtney. She's amazing as well, so she takes care of a lot of as well, right?

Tracy Hayes  1:01:10  
Do you still, I mean, do you still find yourself wanting to do it all yourself? Or have you started? Oh, no, absolutely, really cut the line.

Stacy Darnell  1:01:19  
And, I mean, I've had to cut the line. But, yeah, absolutely, because I'm a little bit of a like, I want to control and make sure everything's happening the way it should. And so it's hard, it's hard to kind of, you know, drop that off. You need to,

Tracy Hayes  1:01:31  
well, you come you, well, you hit it on the nail. From the standpoint of why your business is is successful is because you're, you're focused on that customer all the way through, and you're like, who else would do it this way? Right? Who else would actually like care as much as I do right type of thing, and finding that person is it's treasure. You find that person you want to hold on to it if you you know you are organically recruiting people who want to come into Are you? Do you prefer someone green that doesn't know anything and like to start someone from scratch, or are you like Engle and Volkers, who'd rather have a more experienced real estate agent?

Stacy Darnell  1:02:11  
That's a great question. So originally I wanted somebody just that, you know, fresh, let me teach. I think they need to know what it's like to be out there on the room. To be honest, I think to start off with, kind of need to feel how difficult it is. You need to go through some of that. And so, for right now, you know, not necessarily recruiting those. I might have an agent that's getting ready to join me, and she's been in the business for a while. She's military and moving back and so, and I've known her for a while, she's been in the business, and she's like, I've always wanted to be on your team, but she's just been gone back, super excited about that. No, I think, you know, I think I need to be a little bit more seasoned. Sees the value being on a team, yeah? And that wants to, you know, so that's a little different, right?

Tracy Hayes  1:02:49  
Well, and also you have that you got to give them a lot of time in the beginning. Yes, someone's done it a while. You're like, okay, you know, this is what we're they already know the lingo, right? They in, like I said, they know they have a wall to stick it on, because good, better and different. They have some experience. They've actually been out there, and you know how much of that, but they at least have something to stick it to. They've been doing it for a little while. I would agree with that. Let's, let's break it down to marketing. You know, what do you mean? In you could stretch us beyond yourself, because when we talked, we talked about Josh and Austin and the things that they do, I know you guys over there in that whole circle of you guys are doing a lot of, I don't know, necessarily cutting edge, but you're doing a lot of stuff that a lot of other agents are doing. You know, obviously, the amount of video that Josh and Austin, you know, put out is, you know, they're in the if they're not number one, they're in the top five, right? You put those guys in that from that category. What do you feel are some standard, you know, now that you have that client list, you got that referral. So you're, you're, you know, staying I'm going to use, I want to say, I was going to say milking them, but I'm going to say staying top of mind, because that's really what you're doing. What do you do with your sphere and obviously your past customers. As far as staying top of mind, what are some standard procedures that you have, that you do for everyone?

Stacy Darnell  1:04:07  
I automatically put them. I put them attached to my social media so I constantly can see them. They seem, you know, staying top of mind. There's a role where every so often I call text, you know, just staying on that I do send them cards. I send them gifts. Actually, every month they get a small little gift for me, you know, sign these things up, then it's like men. That's just kind of a way for me to talk to them. And, hey, how's it going? You know, you send every one of them a little so, yeah, they get a little gift. Like, what? So actually, it's a really cool little company. And they send off, like,

Tracy Hayes  1:04:37  
Andrew, I started sending him, I started sending it. Yes, I don't know if he let it out of you guys. They probably maybe came and sold it. I started sending I started doing it. I didn't I did it for like, six months or whatever. But I would go, yeah, you go assign they send them a little coupon to a local ice cream shop or restaurant, get a sandwich or whatever.

Stacy Darnell  1:04:55  
They have raved about it. I mean, every single time they come, like, oh my gosh, I just got from this. Little shop or sandwich place, or whatever it might be, this treat, oh my gosh. I just absolutely, you know, oh, I send cookies from a certain place for their birthdays, you know? And they're like, oh my gosh, these are the most gigantic cookies either, like, Oh my gosh. I absolutely love these things. But it's just, it's sending them things and keeping them in touch, and little events where you're actually getting together, and, you know, it's their families and things like that,

Tracy Hayes  1:05:19  
yeah, the one thing, and it's probably, I just in St John's County, what I love about that program is there's a lot of sandwich shops, or maybe it's a coffee shop, donut shop, what, you know, restaurant, whatever, they go up and they go up in these strip malls. And we don't necessarily ride down that road every day, right? So we don't necessarily see it. Unless someone told us to that place, we would probably never even think about we get this coupon like, well, that's not too far away. It's actually around the corner where I normally go. Let me go check it out. And it just obviously helps the community. I'm glad that obviously the the owners of those places see the benefit in participating in that we talked about. Reword, because talk a little bit about brokerages and a couple things that the foundations of things that they need to be when you when you look at overall or even internally, even within, you know, the greater Josh Rogers group or whatever, I think there's always something we could do better, whether it's within the group, or just in general, maybe it's just generalize this in in real estate, what is one thing we could do better

Stacy Darnell  1:06:27  
in real estate, period? Well, just, I think,

Tracy Hayes  1:06:29  
with, well, because I actually the actual question was, in your experience, one thing you think brokerages could do better? And I think, I think, you know, you tipped on it a little bit earlier, finding your niche, right? And in that, you know, we talked about some other individuals pre show that they try to focus on finding their their agents, niche what they're good at, what they like doing, so they'll do a lot of it right from a marketing and prospecting standpoint, I think a lot of brokerages don't do that. They don't actually break it down to the cellular level, so but a generalization, if your other agents are listening to this and so forth, what are you know, maybe it's something you saw at exp, because that's how that'll help us lead into why you went with exp. What'd you saw that exp was doing that lot of other brokerages weren't, and were like, made it attractive for

Stacy Darnell  1:07:21  
you to go there a couple things. One was cultural. The culture matters to me, and so the people you're around, that was probably number one. Number two, it's the education and the, gosh, it's always wanting to grow, always wanting to be better. That's why there's constantly conferences and things to go to and things and sometimes, yeah, they have those, and it's not really anything, but they are cutting edge. How are we going to how we're really going to make ourselves better as an agent, and how we're really going to service our, you know, our customers and and, you know, it's just, how can we better as people? Um, they just technology wise. How, you know, how are things going and, you know, how can we be a step ahead? I love that forefront that just go after it. Kind of not competitive, in a sense, but I'm just constantly drive, thrive, drive kind of person, and I just, what's next? What do we how do I be better? And so I think for me, exp just encapsulated all that.

Tracy Hayes  1:08:12  
So was it exp as exp, or the people that are immediately around you, like Josh and Austin and you know?

Stacy Darnell  1:08:19  
So first, I loved concept of EXP. That's not what drew me. Because I'm like, I see the value there, and I was contemplating it. It was more the people, the people. Was like, that's who that's that's my tribe. Like, those are my people.

Tracy Hayes  1:08:35  
You knew that maybe, if you were didn't have your mindset set yet for the morning, and that positives that you were talking about earlier, that you could walk in the office and they would quickly help you get that mind we drive each other.

Stacy Darnell  1:08:49  
Like, yeah, constantly. And I love that back and forth, that, like, how can we just, we drive each other, and we're just constantly like, you know, oh, I have this like, Oh, what do you have? And that there's, it's that it's not competitive. It's just that I'm going to help build you constantly doing that like non stop. And I love it.

Tracy Hayes  1:09:06  
Culture is a word that's used often. I think the I'm going to challenge you to define it for me here for you, because it's different. The culture KW is different than the culture you're talking about on, Joshua. We're we're building on, we tipped a little bit on it, yes, but I mean to try to describe it to someone, if you had to write a 500 word essay, how would

Stacy Darnell  1:09:30  
you Oh, I would say the culture I was looking was, was God centered and family and and I know kW has that as well, but I would say it's people focused. It's, you know, yeah, you want to go make money. And, you know, obviously you're not in any business to not make money. But it's also, it's about people, and it's just the cultures is more positive. You know, we're constantly driving and seeking to be better. And I think that's just overall, you know, the comes in.

Tracy Hayes  1:10:00  
Hmm, you have a con there. I just, I'm setting what I'm sensing when I'm reading through you between the lines is that whole group that you've surrounded yourself, and we've used their name several times already, but they give you a lot of confidence that even though they're you're they don't report to you in anything away, but you guys have just you're grouped together under the team exp type thing, with your own individual teams, but they have your back. And sometimes would you agree? You go into real estate, you go into business, but real estate, you're you are your own individual. Sometimes you feel like an individual. And I know some people have left exp, I think it's one of the reasons, because obviously, they weren't part of a group like this. Yeah, they did feel, you know, didn't connect, you know, didn't get involved with that group that welcomed you in, so to speak. And you know, we're encouraging you, and, you know, like any family, any team, they sense when you're down and all of a sudden you're getting a phone call because just, you're just connecting, right?

Stacy Darnell  1:11:03  
Because we're also a part of Clinton gets, which is up north, and his team is huge, and he's constantly doing the driving, too. So again, we're just part of a bigger group. And, yeah, it's, well, it's

Tracy Hayes  1:11:17  
staying connected. I mean, there's big groups, but then, you know, so I know, I know anyone there, anyone could say, well, the group got to, nope, you stay connected. What it is is I, what I'm sensing is Clayton's here, but you got guys like Josh and Austin's personality and these other things. Because you need those great leaders. Create Other leaders. You could have a great leader as a huge organization, but because you get three levels down, you're that's as far as they grow. Because right there, there, no, there's not enough other leaders in there that are keeping the plate spinning, yeah, and there's

Stacy Darnell  1:11:47  
lots of them. Or they're constantly creating those, those leaders, and we're constantly because it's, it's something we all believe in, so it's something we all do naturally, you know?

Tracy Hayes  1:11:56  
So an agent considering coming to exp, they're listening to this right now, experience or inexperience. Because I know you, I imagine exp has a structure for brand new. They do, yeah, type of thing, but it goes back. We like we talked about pre show, we brought it down. Show why you choose certain brokerages, and you have to go in and meet this group that that you're talking about is how really is going to make the difference of whether you're well, one if you even stay in it, because we know 80% of the agents aren't going to renew two years they're renewing and type of thing, they fall out because they're not part of this group that makes them feel part of family. Some people need it now. There are some people that are went through corporate America. They were leaders, or whatever they have life experience, and they go out and they totally understand the concept of selling real estate, but a stay at home mom, maybe someone that was just a nine to five person, a school teacher. Sometimes, just because their experiences, they don't fully see it from 30,000 feet, they have to go and join a group. Maybe they go spin off on their own later, but to come in and join a group to really get their business going. And obviously, we know there's people's got their business going, and they love it so much. They're they're just, they're sticking with the group. Want to go off on their own. They love the synergy, right? Synergy? We're gonna use that

Stacy Darnell  1:13:16  
word synergy, yes.

Tracy Hayes  1:13:18  
What are we'll finish with this question here, because everyone, everyone loves the market question, right? What's going on in the market right now? What is your what is your mindset going in? We'll just start with listings, and then we'll go to buyers. What is your mindset? What what as a listing agent right now, today's market, the first of May, 2023 when you're going into that listing appointment, what in you got someone that, you know, hopefully you got the right house. And there are houses that are selling on the first weekend, you know, obviously, I think that's every agent's goal, right? First weekend, handfuls, showings, get a couple offers. And close, we're already under contract on Monday. Yes. What does it take? What is it taking right now in this marketplace, when you go and talk to that, that seller and educating them, what are you telling them right now that this is how we need to do it,

Stacy Darnell  1:14:11  
setting expectations completely. You have to set expectations where we're at. We're not in the market you were before. We're in a completely different market. So in order to sell your house quickly and efficiently. You know, pricing matters versus the condition your home. There's just so many things that your marketing goes didn't play there's so much that goes into, yeah, it's, I would say, setting those expectations, you know, before, yeah, yeah. You could just throw any number out there. And of course, people were, you know, paying it. No, that's not happening anymore. You know, don't be unrealistic with that price. Now, we have to have those real conversations, and you've got to set that right up front.

Tracy Hayes  1:14:45  
Pricing. You mentioned that there's that's definitely the, you know, the right, well and Well, you mentioned, not necessarily the condition of the home, but obviously pricing due to the condition matters. Yeah, a little bit. What is your Do you stage a lot. What do you what's your what's your attitude on that?

Stacy Darnell  1:15:03  
So I haven't actually, like staged a home with, like, bringing furniture and things like that in. I bring a stager in who helps use the furniture that they have and items they have in their home to stage and then we talked about decluttering and getting a lot of things, obviously making room space so that the buyers who walk through can visualize their items in the home that I do do every single,

Tracy Hayes  1:15:24  
yeah, the the important, what? I forgot this. Saw some statistic, and I was like, 82% sell faster. I mean, yeah, I mean the right, the organic way to stages declutter and use what you've got there. I you know, ideally, obviously, tons, obviously, I'm sure the the clientele you're working with and heard you're working in to how, because, as we know, there's some people that have some really nice homes but don't know how to buy furniture. You know, you're looking at, looking at the bed with no headboard or anything like, yeah, yes, okay, but setting up the home properly, decluttering or staging. Pricing right now is very important, and that's what I am hearing 100% you price it right, you should have a sale. You know that weekend, obviously the homes and doesn't have any known issues and all things considered. All right. So buyer, now, what expectations? You talk about expectations? Imagine you're setting expectations for the buyers. So and the buyers have different wants and needs. So if you want to, like, just go off and maybe a recent buyer, you might have had to come but walk us through that conversation you're having with that buyer right now in this market,

Stacy Darnell  1:16:38  
the buyer, I'm letting them know, hey, there's times we do go into still multiple offers. It still happens and, you know, and right now, interest rates have continued to climb. You know, obviously you don't want to hit another interest right? You know, going up. But I'm like, Hey, let's see what we could find perfect home. Are you willing to do a little bit of work at home? You know, let's What if we find the perfect home and just doesn't have, you know, such and such. Are you willing to do that, just kind of broadening their their mind a little bit. You're in that perfect area, or if it's if it's the right price for you. But I am setting the most expectations for most sellers are, you know, doing closing costs, you know, however, if you are in a bidding war, things like that, you know, do you have that money that you can cover those closing costs? You know, right? What can we do to help make this deal? Just literally got somebody under contract. Actually, the last two here, just recently, we were against people, and it was like, we got them. And it was like, Okay, how do we need to close this deal? Thankfully, this last one, we got closing costs included, and it's a beautiful home. They'll have to do a little bit of work to it, but they're like, this is the perfect property in the perfect location, exactly what we wanted,

Tracy Hayes  1:17:43  
only one address. Was only one home on it, exactly anywhere else in the world.

Stacy Darnell  1:17:47  
And this is a gorgeous property, and it was like all this mini little farm. It's just gorgeous. It's not great trees all over the place. It's gorgeous, but the home needs a little bit of work. They're like, You know what? We easily can do this, and then we want this. So again, it's, it's second setting expectations, I think, on both sides, right? You know, being realistic. Don't over promise you let them know exactly where the market is, exactly going on, where in your price range. What can you get, you know, and then how I can get very creative when it comes to deals. Thankfully, because I do know enough the back end with the financing that I can creative with those things. I'll either help the seller. I mean, on the seller side too, I'm like, Hey, we got to look a lot when it comes to the buyers, you know. So again, I think setting expectations probably the biggest factor on both sides.

Tracy Hayes  1:18:30  
Well, most of the stuff in St Johns County typically will have, I would I want to all guests save you he gets my figure, I say seven out of 10. St Johns County is such demand. If it's not the number one demanded County in Florida, it's a second and, you know, having, you know, are you? Are you pre coaching them on, how do you? How do you handle the escalation clause? Do you wait for the seller's agent to tell you there's multiple offers, then go back and say, hey, we'll insert an escalation clause, or this, the customer is like, you already know, hey, this is a, you know, this is a neighborhood. It's highly desired. This is not coming up. It's obviously priced, right? I suggest you put an escalation clause, because you do have cash, even if the appraisal doesn't come in, you can come up with an extra 10 grand. You're coaching them that before they even make the I've

Stacy Darnell  1:19:20  
always coached them on. This is what escalation clauses, and this is how it works. If we need this, I'm constantly contact with the selling agent and constantly trying to see, hey, do you have other offers? What's going on? You know, things like that. If I don't think there's any other offers in, I don't automatically put that in there. Part, this is part of my negotiations. Yeah, I don't want you feel it out. You're feeling it out, feeling it all the way around, because obviously, I don't want to throw the buyer in, you know, all to their maximum, right? But I'm talking with through that, if I think at all that there's going to be another offer. Oh, that exclusion cause goes in right away.

Tracy Hayes  1:19:51  
You mentioned something. There constant communication with the selling agent. When you're you're mentoring and so forth. Because I think. Like talking again, talking to agents. If you want to learn something from this podcast, this right here is, is important. You put an offer in. You want to follow up with a phone call. This isn't a blog, you know. You tell you, tell me you don't just give them, send them the email with the offer. You need to one make sure they received it. Yeah, okay. But also be talking to them, because they'll could tell you some things that you want to know because you might want to go back and adjust that offer. Would you agree?

Stacy Darnell  1:20:28  
No, absolutely. That works on both sides as a listing agent, as well as when I'm going through offers, guess what? Who's the loudest, who's out there? And like willing to talk to me, and I feel like, okay, this is going to be a smooth transaction. This person is going to be on top of it. Okay, you know, they're really want this house. It's who's communicating. So on both sides, absolutely so on the on the buying side, I'm constantly like communicating with a listing agent.

Tracy Hayes  1:20:50  
I always preach to everyone, I don't know, but the importance of getting out in, you know, showing up as a term we use a lot, but you got to get out to get out to some of these events and meet some of the other agents, because that's the type of market it is. Yeah, and if I'm, if I have those people, maybe even under drip, to know, hey, you know, I got a customer looking for this. I don't see it anywhere out there. Anybody has something that comes across. We're looking for this type of home with three car garage, or whatever it is, acreage or whatever. I don't think enough agents. There's the top producers they are doing that they're sharing across brokerages. They're friends with all they don't, you know, they're real estate agents, and they're sharing this information. And when they have these unique situations, they're getting it out there, and hopefully someone's helping them. And, you know, and Mary, you know, making the match, right? You're a matchmaker between that house and that customer, exactly, and the importance of getting out and actually, you know, meeting other agents in a social setting, how little it is, but at least they saw your face. They might have shook your hand. You might exchange business card, but now you're calling them, oh yeah, I remember, you know,

Stacy Darnell  1:21:56  
it makes a big difference when you know that person on the other side. You're like, Okay, I know you. I know you do good business. I know you're going to make this because, I mean, the other agent can disappear, and it makes a very difficult transaction. So this makes you know those

Tracy Hayes  1:22:07  
agents that don't show up to those events, you don't know them. That's simple as that exactly anything you want to add that we did not cover here today. Oh my goodness. Can you think of anything we went broad all the way around. We did not that I can think of. No, we this was a great conversation. There's definitely a lot of content to cut out of here. I mean, because we dug in and I hopefully asked some in depth questions and got some good stuff out of you, so hopefully everyone would benefit. So I'm going to sign off here. I appreciate you coming

Stacy Darnell  1:22:39  
on. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.