How Aaron Wittenstein stays confident calling expireds with a 1-in-33 booking rate

Loida Velasquez00:03

So what kind of objections are you hearing over the phone right now as you’re calling expireds?

Aaron Wittenstein00:07

You know what? Not as many as you would think. I should actually get this out. Hold on. I kind of figured out expireds based on this flow chart that I put together. I’m not like a techy flow chart guy, okay?

00:17Whatsoever. But the way that I figured this thing out, you do the intro, you come down to get the commitment from the seller. Then from there they either say yes or no, and based upon the yes or no is where you go. If they say yes, you directly go into your close. So the way that I looked at it here is about 80% of the conversation that you put together is skill-based.

00:38Not even skill-based, it’s asking the proper questions right off the bat. The 20% comes to be the objections that come up in play. But realistically, how many objections do you really get?

Loida Velasquez00:48

It’s always the same ones.

Aaron Wittenstein00:48

It’s the same three to five.

Loida Velasquez01:06

What’s going on everyone? Welcome back to a brand new episode of Vulcan7 Coaches and Mentors, where we bring you some of the best tips and strategies so that you can implement in your business immediately. And if you’re watching this, if maybe you’re lacking a little bit of confidence when it comes to calling, maybe you’re getting discouraged because you’re hearing just way too many nos over the phone and you think maybe calling just doesn’t work, then you’ll definitely wanna stick around, take a piece of paper out, a pen, because today’s guest is gonna share with us exactly how he gets through these situations.

01:38Now, today’s guest is a very familiar face, so with that being said, I wanna bring on Aaron Wittenstein. So Aaron, welcome.

Aaron Wittenstein01:46

What’s going on? It’s so weird being on this side of the curtain, if you will. So what’s going on? How are you?

Loida Velasquez01:52

Yes, I’m doing great. So for everyone that’s watching that maybe is not familiar or hasn’t seen your Roadmap episodes, go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself.

Aaron Wittenstein02:01

Yeah. So my name’s Aaron Wittenstein, if you couldn’t figure that out. I’ve been an agent now for 23 years. I sold in Illinois, New York for 10 years, and I was the crazy person to then rebuild my business for the third time in Florida. So I’m now in Florida. I’ve been here for a little over a year, licensed for a little under a year.

02:20I’m active in the business. I focus on expireds. Expireds are my thing, so it’s a fun business and, how can I put it? It’s like I’m not used to it if I don’t pick up the phone in the morning, okay? Every single morning I pick up the phone and I make phone calls, otherwise I feel like I didn’t shower.

02:38It’s really kinda weird, so.

Loida Velasquez02:39

Yeah. I bet. It almost feels like you’re not being productive, so it’s kind of already a part of your routine.

Aaron Wittenstein02:45

100%. 100%.

Loida Velasquez02:47

So I know that before we pressed record, you were mentioning how today was one of those days that you just got so many nos, and you haven’t had this type of response in a long time, right?

Aaron Wittenstein02:57

That is right. That is right. I mean, I talk to agents all day long about getting through the nos and getting through the… I don’t think it’s rejection, you know what I mean? I don’t believe in rejection because the reality of it is we’re calling people that don’t know who we are and have no reason for us to call them.

03:14So let’s say that I go out and someone’s like, “You’re ugly. I don’t want anything to do with you.” That’s being rejected. Okay? That’s being rejected, but speaking to someone on the phone that hangs up, that’s not rejection, you know what I mean? That’s just maybe getting someone at the wrong time.

03:30And I’m a firm believer… Are you a numbers person by chance? Do you play with numbers? Okay. Okay. At my old age of 42 years of age, I’m a huge numbers person. And today I got a lot of nos. All right? I got a lot of nos, but I know they all average out.

03:49Because when I look at the actual numbers that I do, theoretically, I should speak to 20 people an hour. I speak to 20 people an hour, you multiply that by five, that’s 100 people a week. My rate right now on appointments is one out of every 33 contacts, I get an appointment. All right. So one out of 33 I get an appointment.

04:07Out of those three appointments, one will cancel on me or disqualify. The other one, and then I convert at 50%. So as long as I’m speaking to six to seven people per hour, I lead generate 40 weeks a year, that’s 40 listings taken throughout the year. Average price point of $15,000, multiply that, go from there.

04:27So it’s not all about the nos, it’s about knowing your numbers and really diving into that and figuring out, here’s what it is. You had a bad day, I’ll have a good day tomorrow. It’s really not the end of the world.

Loida Velasquez04:40

And I’m glad that you’re bringing up the numbers because I’m sure there’s gonna be a lot of agents listening to this that are like, “Oh, well Aaron said this number, this number, so I just need to call 100 people a week and I’m gonna get 40 listings.”

04:51However, I think it’s very important to mention your skills because… Tell everyone how long you’ve been doing this, how often do you practice, what hours you do, all of that.

Aaron Wittenstein05:03

So, like I said, I’m an expired guy. I’ve been doing it since 2003, late 2013 is how long I’ve been calling expireds for.

05:13Average lead generate five days a week, three hours a day. Okay? Role play scripting practice, I try to get in 10 to 15 minutes a day if I can. With kids and schedules it’s hard to do that. Yet, like I said, even with the people that I personally teach, I am on the phone with them, I’m on the phone every morning at 8:00 in the morning, and I’m pushing 15 hours a week right now.

Loida Velasquez05:37

So you’re on the phone at 8:00. Are you just calling expireds or are you also calling for sale by owner or circle prospecting, or what does that look like?

Aaron Wittenstein05:44

I focus predominantly on expireds. I’ve always enjoyed expireds the most. I tip my toes into the for sale by owner realm, if you will.

05:52Not my biggest thing in the world. I have taken listings though from calling for sale by owners, but expireds are what I really enjoy working with.

Loida Velasquez06:00

So what kind of objections are you hearing over the phone right now as you’re calling expireds?

Aaron Wittenstein06:05

You know what? Not as many as you would think.

06:10I should actually get this out. Hold on. Here, can I show you something kind of cool that I’ve been doing? Can I show you this? I kind of figured out expireds based on this flowchart that I put together. I’m not like a techy flowchart guy, okay? Like, whatsoever.

06:28But the way that I figured this thing out, and like I said, this is so rudimentary. It’s a good word. I never used that word in a sentence ever in my entire life. But you do the intro, you come down to get the commitment from the seller. Then from there, they either say yes or no, and based upon the yes or no is where you go.

06:47If they say yes, you directly go into your close. So the way that I looked at it here is about 80% of the conversation that you put together is skill-based. Not even skill-based, it’s asking the proper questions right off the bat. The 20% comes to be the objections that come up in play. But realistically, how many objections do you really get?

Loida Velasquez07:07

It’s always the same ones.

Aaron Wittenstein07:07

It’s the same three to five. And once you figure… “Do you have a buyer?” “I wish I did. That would make both of our lives a lot easier.” “We don’t wanna sell. Not now or not ever.” Interest rate stuff, that’s a condition in my opinion. That’s not an objection.

07:23So there’s only a few that wind up coming through that make sense to me.

Loida Velasquez07:28

So as you’ve been making calls all these years, were you always confident in the beginning or how did you get to the point that you’re like, “I’m just gonna call ’cause if I don’t call, I feel like I’m not doing anything”?

Aaron Wittenstein07:39

No, it takes time. You know what I mean? It takes time to get there. And I mean, the funny part right now is that my skill set has never been greater. I’m pretty good at what I do right now, but based on the market being new and figuring out all the nuances of Florida, the results may not be there yet, is the best way to put it.

07:56I mean, a New York market versus a Florida market are two totally different things. Yet the thing is, is that you need to be able to remain fluid with what you’re saying because what may work today… I mean, you know this, it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it as well.

08:19And we need to make sure that our tonality is right, our pitch is right, all that type of stuff. And that’s what I’m teaching myself a lot more lately. It’s not just what to say, it’s how to say it. Especially here, where I’m located, you have people from the Northeast, from the West Coast, from the Midwest.

08:35It’s such a dynamic of people that are here.

Loida Velasquez08:39

Yeah. And I’m glad that you’re mentioning, obviously you relocated. There’s probably agents that are watching this that have moved to a new market.

08:46So for you, can you kind of share how did you tackle starting in Florida, and where did you start?

08:53Did you start with neighborhoods, or you just got Vulcan7 and let’s call expireds?

Aaron Wittenstein08:58

I just continued doing what I always did, you know what I mean? Because like I said, being in New York was a different animal. They put a lot of restrictions on what we’re able to do in New York.

09:07Being here in Florida, like I said, it’s just different here. There’s a lot more competition here in Florida than I’m accustomed to, which is fine. You just need to increase your skill set because the better that you are… How can I put this? The better that you come off, the better you are.

09:28And part of it is just being at the right place at the right time and just doing the activity, knowing the results will follow.

Loida Velasquez09:35

Okay. So I wanna do a quick role play where you’re the agent. I’m an expired, and let’s just give everyone here a little show. Let’s see what you got.

Aaron Wittenstein09:45

Oh, no. Okay. All right. Hold on. Let me put my expired face on. Okay. All right. Ring, ring.

Loida Velasquez09:53

Hello.

Aaron Wittenstein09:54

Hi. My name is Aaron. I’m a realtor. I gotta ask, how in the world-

Loida Velasquez09:56

I already got so many calls this morning. I’m not looking to sell.

Aaron Wittenstein10:00

Sure. No, no. Real quick, how in the world did that place not sell?

Loida Velasquez10:05

My last agent said that the home could sell in 60 days, but then I guess interest rates went up, and now I’m just getting bombarded by a whole bunch of annoying realtors since 7:00 this morning.

Aaron Wittenstein10:15

Sure. I get it. I get it. Well, if you still could sell, would you sell?

Loida Velasquez10:19

I mean, I don’t know at this point.

10:21It would have to be a crazy good offer for me to even consider it.

Aaron Wittenstein10:25

Sure, sure, sure. So ironically, I’m actually gonna be in your neighborhood tomorrow around 4:00. Would you be offended if I stop by to take a quick peek?

Loida Velasquez10:34

You know what? I don’t wanna waste my time. I don’t wanna waste your time coming by.

10:37I’ve had three other agents that have told me the same thing, and I’m sure you wanna come and get a listing, but I’m just not looking to get another agent right now.

Aaron Wittenstein10:45

I get it. I’m not looking for a commitment here, just an appointment, okay? And I guess the true question is, if you were still able to get your number in the next 30 days, would that pose a problem for you?

Loida Velasquez10:59

No, but that’s what the last agent said, and my husband and I were just so disappointed. And plus, we don’t even know if we would be able to get our next house now just because the interest rates have gone up. So I don’t know. I have to talk to my husband.

Aaron Wittenstein11:12

Sure. How long have you been married for?

Loida Velasquez11:15

For 10 years.

Aaron Wittenstein11:15

10 years. Yeah. I’m pushing 15 right now, and if your relationship is anything like mine, my wife just puts things on the calendar, I’m expected to show up. Let’s do this. Let’s go ahead, get something on the calendar for tomorrow at 3:00. If it doesn’t work out, you can let me know and we can go from there.

11:29Does that sound fair?

Loida Velasquez11:32

I don’t wanna promise you anything.

Aaron Wittenstein11:34

Like I said, I’m not looking for a commitment, just an appointment.

Loida Velasquez11:37

Okay. Well, when you come, are you gonna bring stuff or what?

Aaron Wittenstein11:41

I can leave everything in the car, whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

Loida Velasquez11:42

You know what? At this point, just text me your information,

11:47and let me talk to my husband. If he agrees, then I’ll just give you a call and let you know to come.

Aaron Wittenstein11:52

Got it. Okay. So is this the best number to text you at right here?

Loida Velasquez11:56

Yes.

Aaron Wittenstein11:56

Okay. So let me ask you this, okay? Let’s say, theoretically, I come by the house, we put together a plan that makes sense for you and your family, okay?

12:05And it makes sense, we can get you in this place, get you out of the other place. Wouldn’t it at least make sense for us to sit down for seven and a half to 12 and a half minutes to see how that works out for you?

Loida Velasquez12:18

I mean, it wouldn’t hurt, but look, let’s do this. If you have a buyer, I’d be more than happy to work with you.

12:24But at this point, we don’t wanna interview agents right now.

Aaron Wittenstein12:28

Sure. No, I get it. I get it, and I wish I had a buyer, that would make our lives both a lot easier. Now the thing is, would you want… How can I put this? ‘Cause like I said, I sense frustration. You know what I mean?

12:40Would you rather have one buyer or multiple buyers?

Loida Velasquez12:43

Multiple buyers would be great. But we just didn’t get that activity last time, so I’m just really disappointed.

Aaron Wittenstein12:52

I know, I know. And unfortunately, all agents are not created equal, okay? I know we don’t know each other, yet what I do is I specialize in selling properties that are on the market for extended periods of time without selling, okay?

13:03If you were to Google me, look me up, I’m nationally known for training agents to do exactly what I’m doing, okay? And like you said at the beginning, and like I said, I’m saying if because there’s no guarantee, if I was able to get your number, it would at least make sense to have a conversation.

13:21Wouldn’t you agree?

Loida Velasquez13:24

I guess. It sounds like I don’t have anything to lose, right? I mean, it’s not like you’re gonna hold a gun to my head and tell me to sign anything.

Aaron Wittenstein13:32

No, no, no. I’ll bring some donuts. We’ll bring a couple glazed donuts and some coffee or something too.

Loida Velasquez13:40

Okay. Yeah, we like donuts.

Aaron Wittenstein13:40

Okay, sounds good. Bring donuts. See you tomorrow, whenever I said before. Look forward to meeting you.

Loida Velasquez13:46

Okay, awesome.

Aaron Wittenstein13:47

Thank you.

13:52Oh, you’re trying to give me a heart attack over here? Oh my gosh. That was good. That was fun.

Loida Velasquez13:58

Yeah. No, I mean, I wanted to say what I said because that’s kinda like what people will encounter. And I think you’ve even said before in some of your videos on your YouTube channel, which by the way, everyone, his links are below, you gotta be hard when you’re role-playing because when you’re actually making the calls, they’re probably not gonna be this hard.

14:17But if you’re ready, it’s gonna be like a breeze.

Aaron Wittenstein14:20

Yeah. I wanna role play with you more often. That was fun. Oh my gosh. I’m sitting here and I’m like, “I can’t make myself look bad and not close right now.” But no, that was really good. Thank you. That was really fun.

14:31Thank you very much, Loida.

Loida Velasquez14:34

Yes. No, I loved everything you said, the tonality. You even brought in the humor, which I think that was funny. What kind of threw me off was when you asked me how long I had been married for, which I think a lot of agents, that’s another way for you to start creating some type of conversation or rapport, so I think that was awesome.

Aaron Wittenstein14:52

Thank you. That’s like my favorite one that I’ve ever come up with because it’s like, “How long you been married for?” If your relationship is anything like mine, which is true, my wife just throws stuff on my calendar. I’m expected to show up. And they’re like, “Well, I get it. You’re right.”

15:06And it works really well.

Loida Velasquez15:08

Yeah. I wanted to laugh when you said that because I was not expecting it. It kinda threw me off, so. Awesome. I hope that everyone that listened to this will probably have to rewind and re-watch it and write down some notes. So when it comes to tonality or everything

15:25that we just kinda even went over in this role play, how can an agent that’s maybe not so skilled start getting into that, learning about tonality and communication and being an active listener so that they can be on their toes?

Aaron Wittenstein15:39

Get in touch with me. I mean, here’s the thing, I don’t know where to find it ’cause I kinda taught myself how to do it.

15:48You got your upswings and your downswings. If you look at my intro that I use, it’s like, “Hi, my name is Aaron. I’m a realtor.” You know what I mean? Downswing. “I gotta ask real fast, how in the world did that home not sell?” Up, down. Because as we know, an upswing shows curiosity, if you will, and a little confusion, and a downswing shows authoritative, all right?

16:11And then you gotta be able to mirror and match based upon the way they respond to that question, okay? And then you have to know when to be firm and when to not be firm, and there’s so much that comes into play with it. It’s just, I don’t wanna say practice, but it’s a lot of practice.

Loida Velasquez16:28

Yes. And with that, tell us about your coaching or your programs or whatever you have so agents can get in touch with you.

Aaron Wittenstein16:34

Sure, sure. I do a lot. I coach a handful of agents across the country right now. Really proud. One of my guys just took his fourth listing the other day, so we’ve been working together for like six weeks. It’s so much fun, you know what I mean, to help others.

16:47I coach 10 agents across the country, and the way that I look at it is when I teach other agents how to do the things that I’m doing and I don’t do them, I look like a hypocrite. So by helping others, it helps me grow my business, and everything that I preach, I practice.

Loida Velasquez17:05

Awesome. And we’re gonna make sure to put your link in the description box.

17:09And last question I’m gonna ask you. Let’s say that there’s an agent watching this, they’re getting a late start. Maybe they’ve been slacking January, but they’re like, “You know what? I need to get it together.” What do they need to do immediately to get the ball rolling?

Aaron Wittenstein17:23

They gotta sign up for Vulcan7, number one, okay?

17:25Because you gotta have the data in place. If you don’t have the data, it means nothing, okay? I’m gonna read that again. If you don’t have the data, it means nothing. That’s it. First thing. And then the second thing is action. You need to get into action. I don’t care if you have call reluctance, I don’t care if you’re worried, I don’t care if you got hung up on a lot of times before.

17:47You have to have action because by doing the activity, the results will follow. Yet without doing the activity, there’s no results to be had in the first place. Will it take time to produce them? Yes. But every now and then, you come across a slam dunk, you make $25,000 and things are good, but you gotta get the data.

18:05You gotta get the data.

Loida Velasquez18:07

There you go. So you heard it from Aaron. So with that being said, Aaron, thank you so much for being on today’s episode. We gotta do this again, another role play session. I might be a little tougher, but we gotta keep on testing you.

Aaron Wittenstein18:17

You can’t get tougher than what you just did on me.

18:20That was like… Yes, we are gonna connect after this, okay?

Loida Velasquez18:25

Okay. All right. All right, everyone, thank you for watching. We’ll see you on the next one.

Aaron Wittenstein18:29

Take care, guys.

18:29Bye. Thank you.