Mindset and Discipline

How Darren Brothers Takes One Listing a Week on a 31-Contact Daily Minimum

Darren Brothers, eXp Realty

November 21, 2024 25 min

Darren Brothers wakes around 4:15, role plays at 7:30 and prospects from 8 to 11 with a minimum of 31 contacts, calling hot expireds, lead follow-up, FSBOs, then his database from 9:30 to 10:30. His weekly goal is three appointments set and one listing taken, and he is done by 5:30 for his family.

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Key Takeaways

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1
Prospects 8 to 11 AM with a 31-contact minimum, scaled back from 41 so he could prepare properly for each appointment he sets
2
Calls in a set order, 30 minutes of hot expireds at 8, lead follow-up at 8:30, FSBOs at 9, database from 9:30 to 10:30, then older expireds and just listed, just solds
3
Sets a weekly goal of 3 appointments scheduled, expecting to ideally take 2, with 1 listing taken a week as his mission
4
Practices scripts alone at 7 and with a role play group at 7:30 so he is warmed up before dialing at 8
5
Sandwiches warm database calls between expired and FSBO sessions, and the database remains the number 1 source of his business
6
Touches his database 3 to 4 times a year, with a once-a-month call list where he offers help through his contractor, plumber and roofer connections
7
Wakes by 4:30 for the gym, spends 15 minutes reading, praying and scribing, makes his kids breakfast, and is done working by 5:30

Transcript

00:00Cold open on his daily calling order

Aaron Wittenstein00:00

You have a system, like a calling system, from when you start, like you call this, and then after this one, you call this one, and so on and so forth.

Darren Brothers00:09

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so the first thing I do, obviously, is I go to the great Vulcan7, ’cause I found those to be the best contacts.

00:16So typically, the first thing that I do is call the hot expires. I’m spending about 30 minutes just trying to contact those hot expires. After that, around 8:30, I’m doing my lead follow-up. So any hot leads or anything like that. And usually, then after that, I’m calling the for sale by owners. Usually, that’s around 9:00.

00:31And then come 9:30, I’m calling my database, and I take my time with my database, so I have that blocked from 9:30 to 10:30. Then I do another round on my expires. So the hot expires, I’ll try them again. If no luck there, I’ll kind of work into the older expires. So once I get through with that, I’m doing just listed, just solds.

Aaron Wittenstein00:59

What’s going on, everybody? It’s me, it’s Aaron Wittenstein, and I would like to welcome you to Vulcan 7 Roadmap. This is where we talk to agents across the country on how to take an additional two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 additional listings a week. All right? So we’ve got just a good human being that I’m gonna be chatting with today.

01:27Darren Brothers, he’s out of North Carolina. Raleigh-Durham. It’s Raleigh-Durham, right?

Darren Brothers01:31

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Yes, sir.

Aaron Wittenstein01:33

And what do they call that there?

Darren Brothers01:35

Well, you got the Tar Heel State, but, you know, the Triangle, Research Triangle Park, so that’s where I’m at.

Aaron Wittenstein01:41

That’s where, yeah, the Triangle.

01:42That’s what I remember. So we were talking a little bit before we hopped on here. And I typically ask people, I’ll give you tricks of the trade here, okay? I’m like, “What makes you special?” And the first thing out of his mouth was family, and I think that is just so important.

02:03And then, so you got a couple of kids, is that right?

Darren Brothers02:06

Yes, sir. I have two. I have a daughter who’s 12 and a son who’s 9.

Aaron Wittenstein02:10

And as you were saying, I have a son who’s 12 and twins that are 9. So we already hit, like, the same kid threshold there. So within this business, we know, being a parent, or being parents, a lot of us are, a lot of us aren’t, okay?

02:27Is that parenting itself takes up a lot of time

02:30in general. And it’s hard when we run this business to not sacrifice the time with our family for the work that we have. So I don’t like the word juggle, because we don’t really juggle, we just kinda make it work, you know?

02:43Is the best way to put it. So how do you make it work without sacrificing this for that or that for this?

02:49Why the schedule solves everything

Darren Brothers02:49

Oh, that’s a great question. I believe that the schedule solves everything. So my goal every day is to be as efficient as possible, and make sure that I take care of my family, of course, but also take care of my clients.

03:03And the way to do that for me is to follow my schedule. I’m fairly hard set on that in the mornings. Then in the afternoons, if I have appointments, I’ll go on appointments. If I don’t have appointments, I’m back on the phone. But my goal every day is to be off and done by 5:30, so that when my kids come into the house and my wife comes into the house, then they can get their time.

Aaron Wittenstein03:26

Okay. So every top producer that I speak with has a schedule that they follow. I’m assuming your schedule is a written schedule that you have either written on a piece of paper, on your calendar, on your Google stuff, wherever that is. Is that right?

Darren Brothers03:39

Yeah, it’s pretty much all around me. I keep my Google Calendar pulled up here.

03:43I actually have a physical calendar right here as well. So I’m always looking at my calendar.

Aaron Wittenstein03:47

Okay. So walk me through the day, if you would be so kind. Like, from the moment you wake up,

03:55what does Darren’s schedule look like throughout the day?

03:58Waking at 4:15 and hitting the gym

Darren Brothers03:58

Great question. So usually I rise around 4:15, no later than 4:30.

04:03Sometimes it’s a little bit earlier, just because it’s kinda at a point where my body will just wake up. But the goal is to be at the gym by 4:15. Usually I’ll wrap up around 5:00. And then after that, once 5:00 comes, my gym isn’t too far away.

Aaron Wittenstein04:18

Can I ask a question before we continue?

04:21I’m sorry, I’m raising my hand like I’m in third grade right now. So how long… ‘Cause people like me, I’m up at 5:00, 5:30, and that’s aggressive for me, okay? So, number one, what time are you going to bed at night?

Darren Brothers04:34

Usually around 9:00, 9:30-ish I’m going to bed.

Aaron Wittenstein04:38

How long did it take you to get into that routine of waking up at 4:00, 4:15 in the morning?

Darren Brothers04:44

I don’t know. I’ve been doing it for a long time. When I went to college at North Carolina Central, I went and I played football.

04:52Really, they didn’t care about what you wanted to do. You were supposed to be there on time, and we had early morning workouts.

05:00So I pretty much carried that throughout my life, really. And then after finishing up with college, I actually taught, so I was a teacher as well.

05:11But taking care of my health has always been a priority, so I’ve just never really lost that. I just always woke up early, went to the gym, then went to work.

Aaron Wittenstein05:19

So there’s a lot of people out there that say, “Oh, that’s just too early. I can’t do it. It’s just not gonna work for me.” And I’ll be the first one to admit, it’s a challenge for me. I mean, 4:15, I heard you and my mouth dropped. You’ll watch the conversation, you’ll be like, “Ah.”

05:36What suggestions do you have, if any, for people to get themselves in that routine?

05:43The why behind the early mornings

Darren Brothers05:43

That’s a great question. For me, I’m just always thinking about what’s important, and one is my future is important, right? So I always wanna make sure that I’m taking care of myself, and I find that the early morning’s the best time to do that, so that I can actually then show up to be the best version of myself for my kids and also for my wife.

06:02But quite frankly, I also think about my… I’m from a big family, a family of farmers. I also think about my family, and I know how hard they work, and it’s just bigger than me, right? And that’s just the reality of it. It’s bigger than me. I think about my grandparents, my parents, my aunts, my uncles, then I’m also thinking about my kids and my kids’ future kids.

06:22So when I look at it that way, it’s really not hard at all.

Aaron Wittenstein06:27

Okay. You just gave me absolutely no excuse to not wake up at 4:00 o’clock in the morning. My wife is not allowed to watch this, by the way. Okay. So, all right. So we got that. You’re home by what, 5:00, 5:15 I would assume, right?

Darren Brothers06:41

Yeah. For the most part I’m home by 5:30, unless I have an appointment. My kids and my wife understand.

Aaron Wittenstein06:47

I meant 5:30 in the morning. I don’t think you’re running appointments at 5:30 in the morning.

Darren Brothers06:53

Oh. Yeah. Yes, correct. Who the heck…

Aaron Wittenstein06:54

Knows? I don’t know.

Darren Brothers06:55

Who am I to judge?

Aaron Wittenstein06:56

Okay. So when you get home from the gym, walk me through what the rest of the day looks like.

07:02Morning routine of prayer, scribing and breakfast

Darren Brothers07:02

All right. So the goal, and this is my… The schedule’s flexible, right? So a recent adjustment that I’ve made, ’cause I’ve been playing around with this in the morning, just to be as efficient and productive throughout the rest of the day.

07:14A recent change that I made, probably been about a month ago now, is to come back home, read the word and pray and scribe. And that really helps me to get into the space that I need to be mentally. So I allot 15 minutes for those things. And then after that, my kids are usually either up or I go wake them up.

07:40Usually I wake them up, and then we do breakfast. So I’ll make breakfast for them, and we’ll do that. And then after we do breakfast, I’m getting in the shower and making sure that I’m prepared and ready and dressed and ready for the appointment that I’m about to set.

Aaron Wittenstein07:57

I love that. I love that.

07:58“I’m ready for the appointment I’m about to set.” That’s the best thing I’ve heard in, like, the last three days. I absolutely love that. So what time are you on? At 8:00? What time are you picking up the phone?

Darren Brothers08:10

Yeah, usually it’s 8:00 o’clock. So I’ll start practicing.

08:13I do my own individual practicing at 7:00 o’clock, if I don’t already have a role play partner scheduled for 7:00 o’clock. And then I’m a part of a role play group, and we will role play at 7:30. So once we wrap up that role play, I’m on the phones and prospecting at 8:00 o’clock.

Aaron Wittenstein08:32

And then a typical three-hour shift is what you’re putting in right now?

Darren Brothers08:35

Yeah. Typically I’ll do three hours. That’s like my minimum standard. I try to go for four hours. But my minimum standard is to do three hours, and then check admin.

Aaron Wittenstein08:43

So when you say minimum standard, is it like you have a four-hour minimum standard, or you have like a contact minimum standard, or an appointment

08:50minimum standard, or what does that look like?

08:53The 8 to 11 minimum and 31 contacts

Darren Brothers08:53

Yeah. So my minimum standard is really 8:00 to 11:00, you know? So it’s a three-hour minimum standard no matter what. And also to do 31 contacts. So that’s the bar that I’ve set for myself, and that’s the commitment that I’ve made to myself, and the commitment I made to the people that decided to put me to work as well.

09:12So again, it’s another obligation for me to make sure I’m held accountable.

Aaron Wittenstein09:17

Where does 31 come from?

Darren Brothers09:20

That is a great question. So again, the schedule’s flexible, as my coach always says, so I’ve been playing with it a little bit. I was doing 41 contacts a day, but what I found is I found myself so focused on the contacts that I would get some leads or scheduled appointments and not really prepare well enough for the appointment, for the person that allowed me to come over to the house.

09:45So I just wanted to make sure that I scaled it back a little bit, and this is just through masterminds and talking to top agents. That’s where I’m trying to get to. So I just scaled it back a little bit, just to make sure that when I get the lead, when I get the appointment, I’m really taking time to prepare and making sure they’re in the best position possible.

Aaron Wittenstein10:05

Got it. ‘Cause like I said, I’m a firm believer we can control our time. Everything else that happens is a product of our time, okay? So in your perfect week, how many appointments set per week is like, “I hit my goal”?

10:19Three appointments set and one listing a week

Darren Brothers10:19

Great question. So the goal is to schedule three appointments.

10:24That’s the goal. All right? And ideally take two, but really to take one, right? That’s my mission every week.

Aaron Wittenstein10:34

And then you take one listing a week, right? By setting three appointments.

Darren Brothers10:37

Yes. Yes, sir.

Aaron Wittenstein10:38

That’s the… You and I, it’s a bald thing, by the way, because I have the same thing.

10:44Three appointments set, one will cancel. And then out of two, you take one, and boom, you took a listing a week. See, we’re like this, my friend. We’re like this. So do you have a system, like a calling system, from when you start, like you call this, and then after this one,

11:03you call this one, and so on and so forth?

11:05His calling order from hot expireds to just solds

Darren Brothers11:05

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So the first thing I do, obviously, is I go to the great Vulcan7, ’cause I found those to be the best contacts, best way to contact the people that I’m seeking to go contact. And I actually have it written down over here.

11:18But yeah. So typically the first thing that I do is call the hot expires. So I’m spending about 30 minutes trying to contact those hot expires. After that, around 8:30, I’m doing my lead follow-up. So any hot leads or anything like that, and usually it’s not that many, maybe two to three.

11:35On a good day, four or five. Then after that, I’m calling the for sale by owners. Usually that’s around 9:00. And then come 9:30, I’m calling my database. And I take my time with my database, so I have that blocked from 9:30 to 10:30. And then I’ll call the, let me see.

11:56Let me check. Then I’ll do another round on my expires, right? So the hot expires, I’ll try them again. And if no luck there, I’ll kind of work into the older expires. So once I get through with that, I’m doing just listed, just solds.

Aaron Wittenstein12:10

Got it. No, it’s nice, ’cause I mean, I have my system in place as well that works.

12:14Because if we just do it haphazardly,

12:17it’s just haphazard. This is the best way. If there’s no system, there’s no success, you know? Coin that, by the way. Okay. So if you had to pick one, what would be your preferred or favorite that you’re contacting?

12:36Why the database is his favorite call

Darren Brothers12:36

Man, my favorite is definitely my database. My favorite’s my database, right? I also like expires as well. And I don’t know if that’s just out of habit, but I just love the expires as well. They typically pick up the phone, and we’re able to have either a great conversation or not so great, but either way I know where I stand.

Aaron Wittenstein12:58

So let me ask you this, okay? Is that a lot of people are nervous about calling their database, especially if they haven’t been in touch with their database for a period of time. What have you used historically that’s worked well as kind of like a re-engagement phone call?

Darren Brothers13:13

A great question. Usually it’s a variety of things. So I’ll schedule three, maybe four touches throughout the year. Then I have a category of people that I’ll call once a month. The people that I call once a month, it’s just, “Hey, it’s your realtor, Darren Brothers, just touching base with you and seeing if you had any questions, anything I can lend my support to, or any services I can provide you through my connections.”

13:37So just seeing how I can be helpful to them, whether it’s a contractor, a plumber, a roofer.

Aaron Wittenstein13:41

Can you call me and pretend we haven’t spoken in, like, forever?

Darren Brothers13:44

Yeah, sure.

Aaron Wittenstein13:45

All right. Give me a shout.

13:47Role play of a database re-engagement call

Darren Brothers13:47

Yeah. Ring, ring.

Aaron Wittenstein13:48

Hello.

Darren Brothers13:49

Good morning. Aaron Wittenstein, Darren Brothers, your realtor. How are you?

Aaron Wittenstein13:54

Oh my gosh, it’s been forever, Darren.

13:55What’s going on?

Darren Brothers13:56

It’s been a while. It’s been a while since you purchased your last home, and I owe you an apology.

Aaron Wittenstein14:01

Oh, don’t, man, don’t even worry about it. No, don’t even worry about it. We’ve had, like, three kids since we talked to you last, and it’s been a little crazy.

Darren Brothers14:11

Excellent. Excellent. Well, Aaron, listen, I was just thinking of you. I don’t wanna hold you too long. I was just, one, sitting here wondering if you had any real estate needs. I know with the summer coming up, kids just getting out of school, I know people are often thinking about projects around the house, or even potentially making a move, and just seeing if there’s anything that I can do, as a continued service to you, to be helpful to you and your family at this time.

Aaron Wittenstein14:33

No. I mean, we may need someone to install some wallpaper down the road. But yeah, other than that, we’re pretty good.

Darren Brothers14:42

Excellent. Excellent. That’s awesome. So, and I have probably one of the best contractors in the area that I’m happy to connect you with, make sure you’re good to go.

Aaron Wittenstein14:49

That’d be great. I’d appreciate that. Thank you.

Darren Brothers14:51

Absolutely. Absolutely. How about yourself? How are you all liking the home? You happy where you are?

Aaron Wittenstein14:56

Yeah, we’re good, man. We love it. You know, it’s getting a little tight, but I think we’re good for the time being.

Darren Brothers15:03

Uh-oh. Uh-oh. So it’s getting tight with the two kids? And I know they’re not getting any smaller.

Aaron Wittenstein15:07

No, they don’t do that. They definitely don’t.

Darren Brothers15:09

They don’t do that.

Aaron Wittenstein15:09

No, they don’t do that.

Darren Brothers15:11

Did you have any plans of maybe making a move here in the future? Or do you feel like you’re happy where you are for a while?

Aaron Wittenstein15:16

You know what? We’re riding a 2.9% interest rate right now. So I know interest rates are higher. So I think we’re just gonna kinda hang out for a couple of, maybe a year or two, and just kinda go from there.

Darren Brothers15:27

Good, good. Excellent. Excellent. Well, I’ll tell you what, what I’ll do is I’ll just touch base every so often, see if there’s anything that I can do to be helpful.

15:34Before I let you go, Aaron, I have to ask you. Considering that the supply of homes is actually still low and sellers are walking away with a fistful of equity with the sale of their home, who do you notice looking at possibly selling a home or possibly purchasing a home that we can help?

Aaron Wittenstein15:50

You know what? My aunt may be doing something down the road, but nothing’s, like, imminent right now.

Darren Brothers15:55

Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, no, look, when she’s ready, I’m ready. I’m always ready, as you know. So do you think she’d mind if I… no pressure, no obligation. Do you think she’d mind if I gave her a call this coming week?

Aaron Wittenstein16:08

Yeah. I’m sure. You can call her at 1-234-56789.

Darren Brothers16:11

Perfect. I’ll write that down.

Aaron Wittenstein16:14

I’ll let her know that you’re calling. Don’t call her, like, for a couple days. I’ll let her know that you’re calling her.

Darren Brothers16:18

Well, you beat me to it. I appreciate that, and let her know that I’ll be giving a call and I’m gonna make sure she’s taken care of.

16:23No obligation, no pressure. Just here when she’s ready, okay?

Aaron Wittenstein16:26

Yeah. All right, cool. Thank you.

Darren Brothers16:28

All right, Aaron. Listen, I appreciate you taking the time. Please give the family my best, and please don’t hesitate to give me a call if we can be helpful.

Aaron Wittenstein16:37

Thank you. See, what I loved about what you did there is you were sincere.

16:43Okay? I don’t know if you even noticed this, but you can tell that there are no ulterior motives. It came out that way. Because we all know it’s not what we say, it’s what? It’s how you say it. Right. Okay? And you were very calm, collected, and put together, right?

17:07And I assume that’s something… Is that a way you’ve always been, or have you kind of taught yourself to do that?

17:12Finding the motivated instead of forcing anyone

Darren Brothers17:12

No, I’ve kind of always been that way, right? I just believe that I prepare, and that’s why I wake up early. I prepare, and when the opportunities come, when they present themselves, I just need to be ready, you know?

17:24And at the end of the day, I’m not here to try to force anybody to do anything. I’m just trying to find the people that are motivated to do something.

Aaron Wittenstein17:33

Can you repeat that?

Darren Brothers17:34

Yeah. So absolutely. I’m not here to force anybody to do anything. I’m really just here to be prepared and ready when the opportunity presents itself, and find the people that are motivated to actually do something.

Aaron Wittenstein17:46

Exactly. You know, because like you said, we can’t make anybody do anything. We can just reach out to enough people

17:52that may wanna do something, to be able to cultivate kinda what we’re going there. So when it comes to calling the database, I know a lot of people are very, like,

18:04how can I put it? They’re nervous, right? They’re nervous about calling, ’cause I think that what we do, it’s easy to be rejected by people that you don’t know. Right? But when you’re rejected by people that you do know, that hurts.

18:18Would you at least agree on that?

Darren Brothers18:22

Absolutely.

18:23Absolutely.

Aaron Wittenstein18:23

Yeah. People don’t think about it that way. So what’s your advice when it comes down to people that have a neglected database?

18:31Reviving a neglected database with honest conversations

Darren Brothers18:31

Man, that’s a great question. So that’s actually how I started out in real estate, period, is calling my database. Through COVID, I kind of fell back a little bit on that.

18:43But what I found through calling my database is you get to find out… They’ll hold up a mirror really quick, right? And I love to know the truth. I wanna know the truth, right? So for example, I had a really good friend that I called that was in my database. And he told me, as a new agent, he said he don’t do business with new agents.

19:06And I knew nothing about objections and handling objections at that time, but I really appreciated his honesty. But from that, we were able to have a conversation, and it was a fairly brief conversation, and it was something that he and his wife talked about. He thought about it, and they gave me a chance, and I’ve done quite a few deals.

19:28I’d say on average I do about three or four deals just from that connection with him,

19:33because we were able to have an honest conversation. And I think it’s difficult sometimes to be honest with yourself and to hear honesty, but I feel like that’s where the growth is.

19:44That’s where the real opportunity is. And that’s the benefit for me when it comes to calling my database. They’re gonna be truthful with me, they’re gonna be honest with me, they’re gonna let me know, “Okay. Hey, Darren, I didn’t like that so much.” All right. So how can I be better, so that I can take care of people better?

19:59But that’s what I love about the database.

Aaron Wittenstein20:01

You call 10 people out of your database. How many of those conversations are pleasant?

Darren Brothers20:05

In my database, 10.

Aaron Wittenstein20:08

And see, I think where people go is, like, you call an expired, it’s a challenging phone… I mean, expired, FSBO, it’s a challenging phone call, right?

20:18And what I like what you do is you sandwich your database in there, because it’s like, you know what? I just got beat up, or I just got yelled at, or I just got whatever, but then you’re making those warm phone calls. I like how you sandwich that in the middle of your day,

20:33because it just… How long have you been doing that for? I mean, has that been for a while now?

20:38The database as his number one business source

Darren Brothers20:38

Yeah. Great question. So when I first started, that is all that I did. That was before I got into coaching. And then after I got into coaching, I kinda got more structure and more organization to who I’m calling and reaching out to.

20:49So yeah, I’ve been doing that for a while. Consistently, I’ve done it more consistently this year than previous years. But yeah, that’s been the number one source of my business, even when I wasn’t reaching out to them. So it only makes sense. I just firmly believe that we should be taking care of the people that we’ve been blessed or fortunate enough to actually meet that’s willing to support you.

Aaron Wittenstein21:15

And the easiest way to build that database is to call the expireds or for sale by owners and help you build, right? Because you can add more people into that, then you add them into your clients, and then it’s just a circle of fun business, right?

Darren Brothers21:27

Yes. Yes, sir.

21:28That’s really where your business is, you know?

Aaron Wittenstein21:31

So let me ask you this. So out of everything you’re doing right now when it comes to your production, okay? What are you most proud of when it comes to your production?

Darren Brothers21:41

Hmm. Great question. What I’m most proud of, I’ll say, is the level of persistence, right?

21:45It’s real estate, right? So there’s challenges, there’s different things that come up, and I think the main thing is just continuously being persistent, being consistent, and staying in a good mind frame, and just realizing, like the great Kobe says, enjoy the process.

22:05The gold is in the process. It’s not so much in just the destination. So I really appreciate the process.

22:13Advice for new agents, enjoy the process

Aaron Wittenstein22:13

All right. So a new agent comes, knocks on your door,

22:17and says,

22:17“Darren, one piece of advice.”

22:20What are you gonna give him or her?

Darren Brothers22:23

Man, my biggest advice would be enjoy the process, right?

22:26Life is short, as my coach Mike says. And none of us make it out alive, but enjoy the ride, right? So it’s great to have these goals, but what I really love about real estate is the fact that every single day I can wake up and figure out, how can I be better? How can I be a better agent?

22:47How can I be a better person? How can I be a better father? How can I be a better friend? So that’s the process that I really love. And in being able to talk to people on a continuous basis, they continuously hold that mirror up to you, and you got the choice to either do something about it and fix it, or ignore it, right?

23:05So I would say be persistent, be consistent, and enjoy the process.

Aaron Wittenstein23:09

I love that so much. I do, and I’m not just saying that to say that, just so you know that. Okay, I love that. So I wanna tidy this all up into a nice bow. Okay? So what are your final last words for Vulcan7 Nation?

Darren Brothers23:26

Man, for Vulcan7 Nation, listen, first off, I appreciate the service. Somebody started it somewhere, right? So I appreciate the back-end work that y’all have done that allows me to actually just pick up the phone and just easily call people and reach out to people that’s in need of help and service.

23:43So keep up the great work. Continue to be persistent. Continue to be persistent. And look, it’s all to the good, right? We either win or we learn, so it’s all to the good.

Aaron Wittenstein23:55

Oh my… You and I need to hang out more often. Yes, we need to hang out. I’m coming to Raleigh-Durham.

24:03Okay, sounds good. Okay. So, all right, Darren, so someone from Sacramento, California has a buyer that’s looking to move to Raleigh-Durham, AKA the Triangle, all right? How does one get in touch with you?

Darren Brothers24:15

Yeah, I appreciate you plugging me in there. Yeah, my cell phone number, my direct cell phone number, is 919-879-0829.

24:23Again, that’s 919-879-0829. And my email is dbrothers, just like first initial D, last name is Brothers, and then realty@gmail.com.

Aaron Wittenstein24:37

Got it. Got it. All right, my friend, this was great. I wanna say thank you so much for hanging out with us, okay?

Darren Brothers24:42

Thank you for having me, man. You’re amazing.

24:44I appreciate you.

Aaron Wittenstein24:45

Oh, thank you so much, man. I really appreciate that as well. So otherwise, Darren, thanks for coming to hang out. Everybody else, go make some money, take care of yourselves, and be well.

Guest

Darren Brothers

eXp Realty · Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

Darren Brothers sells real estate in Raleigh-Durham, played football at North Carolina Central, taught school, and has a daughter, 12, and a son, 9.

Questions This Episode Answers

What order should you make prospecting calls in?

Darren Brothers starts with 30 minutes on hot expireds at 8 AM, does lead follow-up at 8:30, calls for sale by owners around 9, and blocks 9:30 to 10:30 for his database. He then runs a second round on hot expireds, works into older expireds, and finishes with just listed, just solds.

How many contacts a day should a listing agent make?

Brothers holds himself to a three-hour minimum from 8 to 11 and 31 contacts. He used to do 41 but found he was so focused on contacts that he under-prepared for the appointments he set, so he scaled back after masterminds and conversations with top agents.

How do you re-engage a neglected real estate database?

Brothers schedules three or four touches a year, plus a category of people he calls monthly. The call is a short check-in as their realtor, asking if they have questions or need support, and offering connections such as a contractor, plumber or roofer. He says database contacts hold up a mirror and give honest feedback.

How many listing appointments a week should you aim for?

Brothers’ goal is three appointments scheduled per week, ideally taking two but really one, and he calls one listing a week his mission. Aaron Wittenstein echoes the same math, with one of the three cancelling and one of the remaining two taken.

What time do top producing agents wake up?

Brothers rises around 4:15 and no later than 4:30, works out until about 5, and goes to bed around 9 to 9:30. The habit came from early morning football workouts at North Carolina Central, and he keeps it so he can show up as the best version of himself.

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