How Steven Futch listed over 300 homes and closed 197 sales in his best year working FSBOs

Ren Jones00:01

Welcome to Roadmap, how to take three listings a week until you’re ready for more. Each week we interview a great agent who is consistently taking two, three, four listings a week, and we have an exciting guest today. We encourage you to take notes and apply as much of their knowledge as quickly as you can, and then use the copycat principle. If you’re watching on Vulcan7 or on the Lead Gen Facebook group, you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions during the broadcast — please get your questions in early. All righty, let me introduce my co-host from San Diego, Carley Hathaway, that’s carleyhathaway.com. Hi Carley, how’s the real estate business?

Carley Hathaway00:42

Hi, Ren. Real estate is great as always — seller’s market, great time to be a listing agent, beautiful sunny San Diego. Cannot complain.

Ren Jones00:50

I know, you’ve got the weather, you’ve got that covered for darn sure.

Carley Hathaway00:51

Yeah.

Ren Jones00:54

So before I introduce our guest today, I want to remind everybody that we are simulcasting the show on the private Lead Gen group on Facebook — they have 49,000 members, so we have a large audience there today as well. We will be pausing for a commercial message during the show as a thank you to the Lead Gen folks. Let’s welcome our guest today from Shreveport, Louisiana, Steven Futch. Hi Steve, welcome to the show.

Steven Futch01:20

Good afternoon, my privilege, thank you.

Ren Jones01:23

I’m excited.

Carley Hathaway01:24

Hey, Steven.

Steven Futch01:26

Hello.

Ren Jones01:26

Excited you’re here.

Carley Hathaway01:27

Yeah, thank you so much for joining us, we’re so excited to have you.

Steven Futch01:31

Oh, it’s a privilege, thank you for inviting me.

Ren Jones01:34

I did some homework, Steve.

Steven Futch01:36

Uh-oh.

Ren Jones01:36

On a couple items. One, you were in the Marines for a long period of time — a couple active tours of duty, combat tours, my goodness, Vietnam, Desert Storm. How long were you in the Marines?

Steven Futch01:50

28 years.

Ren Jones01:52

28 years.

Steven Futch01:55

Yeah, I almost made a career of it.

Ren Jones01:55

Well, there’s a little bit of a discipline there that you obviously carry into real estate, I would assume, self-discipline — that speaks volumes. And then I did a little bit of homework and found a couple quotes. May I read them?

Steven Futch02:09

Certainly.

Ren Jones02:10

Well, this one was from about five and a half years ago, this was from Gary Keller — I guess you were on stage at Family Reunion, was that correct?

Steven Futch02:18

That’s correct.

Ren Jones02:19

And Gary said that you had listed more for sale by owners in the past five years than any other agent in the United States. True?

Steven Futch02:31

That was true at that point, yes.

Ren Jones02:33

That was true at that point?

Steven Futch02:34

Yeah.

Ren Jones02:34

And then five years ago, Mike Ferry said that you are one of the best, if not the best, listing agent in the country today. And that was true then?

Steven Futch02:44

Well, we’d all like to think so.

Ren Jones02:50

But did you flip? You haven’t taken a step back since then, have you?

Steven Futch02:52

Not at all, no.

Ren Jones02:53

Good, I didn’t think so. So there’s going to be a lot of fun things to learn here, and we’re going to try to get Steve to work with us on a couple role plays, because his role plays are unbelievable.

Carley Hathaway03:03

Nice.

Ren Jones03:04

Good. Well, what’s the goal for this year, Steve?

Steven Futch03:08

This year, I’m really focused on getting my coaching and speaking business up to par. I’m looking at probably only 75 transactions this year.

Ren Jones03:17

75 transactions this year because you’re doing a lot of coaching and speaking. What was the biggest year you ever had when you were just doing sales?

Steven Futch03:27

2009. I actually listed over 300 in one year and I had 197 closed sales that year.

Ren Jones03:39

Wow.

Carley Hathaway03:39

That’s amazing, 197 closes.

Ren Jones03:42

So you know how to rock and roll here. That’s pretty good.

Carley Hathaway03:44

Yeah.

Ren Jones03:44

Good deal, fantastic.

Carley Hathaway03:48

So what do you think sets you apart from other agents?

Steven Futch03:52

Oh gosh, I don’t know, it would have to be—

Carley Hathaway03:54

I know it’s a pretty broad question, but…

Steven Futch03:56

It would just have to be focus and work ethic. I think any of us are capable of outworking the competition, it’s all a matter of mindset. And as you well know, this entire business is 90% mindset — we have to constantly be working on keeping our mindset strong, positive and winning. Besides that daily maintenance to stay strong, positive and winning, we are constantly expanding our mindset. We have to be growing it — it’s like anything else, once the growth ceases, then you stagnate. You’re constantly looking for people you can talk to, to learn from, reading new books, listening to seminars, like the one we’re in now, to gain new knowledge. You never stop learning and you never stop growing.

Ren Jones04:49

Awesome.

Carley Hathaway04:50

That’s great advice.

Ren Jones04:52

Well, the mindset combined with action — so there’s some action you’re taking every day, because you’re still selling a lot of real estate as well as speaking and teaching and whatnot as well.

Steven Futch05:01

Correct.

Ren Jones05:02

What does that look like? How do you start your day?

Steven Futch05:05

I start my day with my workout, that’s a long, ingrained habit. First thing in the morning, you get up and you do your physical workout. It cleanses the body, it refreshes the mind, and it also gets it off your mind — there’s nothing worse than missing your morning workout and then trying to figure out where you’re going to plug it in the rest of the day. Typically you don’t get to it, because you get overwhelmed with other things. So get up and get that done first, get into a routine, get into a habit.

Ren Jones05:39

Okay.

Steven Futch05:40

Everything should become routine, everything should become habit. You go right into your lead generation and your lead follow up.

Ren Jones05:50

Okay, perfect. Okay, so then—

Carley Hathaway05:53

After your morning workout, which cleanses you and makes you feel amazing, gets you ready for the day — what’s next on the agenda? What time do you get to the office, what’s the first step, do you role play, do you lead gen? Kind of walk us through a day.

Steven Futch06:06

I have role play every morning, and I have different role play partners, and I change role play partners every 90 days. I think—

Carley Hathaway06:14

Oh, that’s smart.

Steven Futch06:15

You can tap out with anybody after 90 days — you’re going to learn anything they can teach you, and you will have passed on anything of value to them, within 90 days.

Ren Jones06:27

He’s not telling the truth, Carley. He and I role-played for two weeks — after two weeks, he dumped me.

Carley Hathaway06:35

Aw, Ren.

Ren Jones06:36

True story.

Carley Hathaway06:40

I think that’s a great takeaway, because it’s too easy to get comfortable with your role play partners, and it almost gets to the point where it’s easy, and that’s not what we want to do.

Steven Futch06:47

And then your role play is your warmup to go right into your lead generation. I’m going to hit the new expireds first, and then I’m going to shift right into the for sale by owners, and then my 10 database calls that I’m going to make every day to people in my database to keep up with that. Then go right in, after a short 15-minute mindset and refreshment break, right into your lead follow up. That’s where most people drop the ball — they don’t follow up.

Ren Jones07:18

Wait, what? Mindset and refreshment break — what does that look like? I get the refreshment part, but the mindset.

Carley Hathaway07:26

Are you meditating? What are you doing there?

Steven Futch07:28

Well, everybody needs to go to the bathroom, everybody needs to make a personal call, everybody needs to check their emails, everybody needs to just relax for a moment and calm yourself in order to refocus and then start over again. You can do all of that in 15 minutes or less.

Carley Hathaway07:48

I like it.

Steven Futch07:48

Make a huge difference in how you perform immediately after that.

Carley Hathaway07:53

Yeah, okay. And so you’re starting with new expireds, then FSBOs, and then you go to your database — what do you like to talk to your database about? Because that’s an easy call, you can even leave a voicemail. Are you passing on information?

Steven Futch08:04

Yeah, “Who do you know that needs to buy a home, sell a home, or invest in real estate?” It’s just keeping in touch, because everybody knows somebody two to three times a year who needs to buy, sell or invest. Unless you’re calling them and asking them, you’re not going to find out about it.

Carley Hathaway08:27

Agreed, great advice.

Ren Jones08:29

Now, you watch a lot of agents, and you’re always very helpful — you’re a big giveback guy, for as long as I’ve known you. So when you look at people that are only taking two listings a month, three, four, five, and they want to add an extra three or four a month, get to eight, 10, 12 a month — where are they falling down? What are two or three things they could do, write down right now and just go “Yes, that’ll work” and go for it? What are they missing?

Steven Futch09:01

Well, typically you need to get your skill level up. The level of skills across the board in the real estate industry is dismal — most people don’t know what to do and they don’t know what to say. That’s why I’m so passionate about the speaking and the coaching, because it allows me to teach agents what to do and what to say on a daily basis in order to become productive.

09:30The first thing I would say is to become well scripted. If you’re just winging it and not using good scripts, you’re not going to be competitive with those of us who are. We know from study after study that the well-scripted salesperson is far more effective and far more productive than someone who’s just winging it, and that’s unfortunately what most untrained agents tend to do — “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” rather than asking a structured list of questions. That’s what a script is — a series of questions in a specific order that’s designed to pre-qualify that prospect and get you to the predictable end you want to get to, which is setting the appointment.

Carley Hathaway10:21

Yeah, agree.

Ren Jones10:22

Such a resistance to scripts, which is so funny — the camp presentation — but my dentist follows a script, the pilot follows a script. It’d be scary not to follow a script.

Carley Hathaway10:34

So when they first start using scripts and they’re first starting to call, how long do you think they should practice the scripts daily in the beginning — an hour, two hours, five hours?

Steven Futch10:46

Well, I’m going to say the absolute minimum for daily practice is 30 minutes. An hour is obviously twice as good.

Carley Hathaway10:54

Okay.

Steven Futch10:56

Absolute minimum’s going to be 30 minutes.

Carley Hathaway10:57

Okay.

Steven Futch10:59

If you’re not willing to spend 30 minutes a day to raise your level of skill— let’s take the entire real estate industry and boil it down to its lowest common denominator: talking to people about real estate in a question-based format all day, every day, for a minimum of two hours. We’ve found in the industry that a full-time agent who’s not willing to lead generate a minimum of two hours a day is probably not going to be competitive in their market. So if you’re not willing to learn some scripts and do it for two hours a day, you might think about doing something else.

Ren Jones11:44

It’s a minimum of two hours a day, and there are a lot of people watching right now that are sporadic — they don’t do two hours a day every day, maybe that’s on their best day. What do you say to them? You said it, “they should find something else to do.” How do you wrap your head around the discipline on the days you don’t feel like it? Because you talk about mindset — how do you do it on the days you don’t feel like it? There are a lot of people watching that want to know the answer to that.

Steven Futch12:11

It’s called structure. You have plan, you have purpose, you have commitment — those three things are the definition of structure. When you get up in the morning, there shouldn’t be any doubt in your mind about what your day holds. If you have that plan, and that purpose, and that discipline to do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it, then you’ll do that two hours of lead generation. Look at the eight-to-five factory line worker — you think that worker’s excited about getting up and standing on the assembly line for another eight hours? No, but they do it anyway, because they know the reward at the end of the week is a huge union scale paycheck.

Ren Jones12:57

And in our business, it’s a really big check.

Steven Futch13:00

Exactly. No one gets paid the hourly rate or the weekly rate that we get paid when we actually show up and do what we’re supposed to do.

Ren Jones13:09

What about accountability? With 28 years in the Marines, that’s probably not anything you need as much as a lot of people do. What about the accountability factor — accountability partners, meeting people, calling before and after your prospecting session? What are your thoughts on that?

Steven Futch13:27

Well, that’s the biggest challenge in our industry. As you know, there is no accountability in real estate — when’s the last time you heard of a broker firing an agent because they didn’t show up by nine in the morning, or because they went all week without setting an appointment, or all month without doing a single transaction? Never happens.

Ren Jones13:50

No, not as a broker, no.

Steven Futch13:54

However, you’re never going to grow and mature and build the level of skill that you need without some accountability. And the best way to get that accountability, as both of you know, is to have a coach, because the coach will provide the accountability that you cannot and will not get at your brokerage or from your fellow agents.

Carley Hathaway14:15

Agreed. So you have your plan every morning, you go to the gym, you start calling — what’s your purpose?

Steven Futch14:24

My purpose is to continue to hone my skills and to set appointments. The only reason you’re doing lead generation and lead follow up is to set appointments, because that’s the only thing that gets us paid. If you’re doing it for any other reason, just to socialize or kill time, you’re probably not doing it at a high level. You constantly keep in mind that your purpose is to set an appointment.

Carley Hathaway14:51

Okay.

Ren Jones14:53

I wanted to shift just slightly to for sale by owners, because it’s always been one of your strengths. Every once in a while I meet somebody taking six, eight, 10 or more listings a month from for sale by owners as a category — not many of you out there — and you are one of them that is just incredible with for sale by owners. When you’re asking them questions, what are you looking for that helps you focus in on that particular for sale by owner that you know is a hot one? What are the criteria? Because a lot of people talk to for sale by owners that are not that motivated and don’t get anywhere.

Steven Futch15:28

Well, that could be a misconception.

Ren Jones15:31

Okay.

Steven Futch15:32

All of them are motivated to some degree, otherwise they would not have that sign in the yard. People don’t put signs in the yard to say “I want to sell this home” unless they really want to sell that house. There’s a lot of smoke screen going on with a lot of for sale by owners — they try to be vague, they try to be ambiguous, they’ll attempt to hide or camouflage their true motivation. That’s normal, you just don’t buy into it. Keep going through your script questions and keep closing for the appointment. Their motivation over time is going to incrementally increase, so finally that scale tips your way and they’re ready to list with an agent. The National Association of Realtors last year said that 94% of for sale by owners listed with a broker within 90 days. So what does that tell us?

Ren Jones16:32

94%, really?

Steven Futch16:34

That’s nationally, it might be different in different markets, but—

Ren Jones16:36

Yeah.

Steven Futch16:38

What do we know from that? That means we know them better than they know themselves. They say they’re never going to list with an agent, they really mean it — but you and I know that’s going to change over a period of days, weeks or months.

Carley Hathaway16:54

Well, can we do a little role play with you?

Steven Futch16:57

Absolutely.

Carley Hathaway17:00

Okay.

Ren Jones17:00

Great.

Steven Futch17:00

Let’s do a FSBO role play.

Ren Jones17:01

Yes.

Carley Hathaway17:01

Okay.

Ren Jones17:01

Absolutely.

Carley Hathaway17:01

Do you want to call me? Yeah, give me a call.

Steven Futch17:04

Yeah. Ring, ring.

Carley Hathaway17:05

Hello?

Steven Futch17:06

Hi, this is Steve with Keller Williams calling about the home for sale. Is this the owner?

Carley Hathaway17:11

It is. Do you have a buyer for me?

Steven Futch17:13

Actually, I work with a number of buyers at all times and I’m really excited about getting your home sold. So let me ask you, when I sell your home, where are you moving to next?

Carley Hathaway17:26

We’re okay staying here, but we would like to move to New York.

Steven Futch17:29

New York? That’s exciting. And how soon would you like to be there?

Carley Hathaway17:33

Sorry, can you say that again?

Steven Futch17:35

I said that’s exciting, how soon would you like to be there?

Carley Hathaway17:38

We’re not in a rush, I just want to get the right price for my home. So again, if you have a buyer, feel free to bring them, but I really have to get going now.

Steven Futch17:46

Yeah, well, that’s exactly what I intend to do — bring you a continuous stream of qualified buyers seeking to buy in the immediate future. That’s what you want, right?

Carley Hathaway18:00

Yeah, yeah, at the price that I want, yeah.

Steven Futch18:03

Fantastic. I’d like to come by and preview your home this afternoon, three to five minutes, so you can show me the features and benefits. I’m available at three or again at five — which is better for you?

Carley Hathaway18:15

Are you going to be bringing one of your buyers?

Steven Futch18:17

No, I can’t show anything to a buyer until I know what I’m showing.

Carley Hathaway18:22

Oh.

Steven Futch18:22

Have you ever bought a pair of shoes without trying them on?

Carley Hathaway18:25

No, especially the shoes I wear, they’re big girl shoes.

Steven Futch18:28

Yeah, and I don’t get married without going on at least one date, and I’ve never sold a home unless I’ve actually seen it.

Carley Hathaway18:34

Oh, okay.

Steven Futch18:34

Would it be okay if I’m able to articulate the features and benefits of your home to a number of buyers?

Carley Hathaway18:41

Yeah, that makes sense.

Steven Futch18:43

Fantastic. Which is better for you, three or five?

Carley Hathaway18:45

Five would work.

Steven Futch18:48

Five, great. Now before I come out, there are a number of questions I need to ask you.

Carley Hathaway18:51

Okay.

Steven Futch18:51

And I go right into my pre-qualifying script.

Carley Hathaway18:54

Okay, great. I think that was great, I like that you just kept moving it along, like you wouldn’t stop.

Steven Futch19:00

Yeah, I don’t want to let it bog down at all.

Carley Hathaway19:03

And what are some really big red flags when you pre-qualify? What are some really big things you’re looking for that would stop you from going on that appointment?

Steven Futch19:11

Pricing, primarily pricing. I can get any home sold if it’s competitively priced. What they need to understand, and what I hopefully will cause them to understand, is that no buyer is going to pay more than market value for anything — and that goes for homes too. So I want you, for one moment, to step out of your shoes and into the shoes of the buyer. Would you pay what you want to price this home at if you were buying a home today, or would you pay less for one down the street that’s very similar?

Carley Hathaway19:46

I would pay less for one down the street.

Steven Futch19:49

And so would all the other buyers. So do you see that we have a choice here? We can price competitively and get showings and offers, or we can price above the market, get very few showings, no offers — and you know what we’ll be doing when we do that?

Carley Hathaway20:06

What?

Steven Futch20:07

We’ll just be helping everyone else get their home shown and get them sold. Now, do you want to get yours sold, or do you want to help everyone else get theirs sold?

Carley Hathaway20:14

I want to sell mine.

Steven Futch20:15

Fantastic. Sign the contract.

Carley Hathaway20:18

Sign the contract.

Ren Jones20:22

Good deal.

Carley Hathaway20:23

Good, I like it.

Steven Futch20:26

I think what most people get wound around the axle with for sale by owners is handling objections. They have a deep fear of getting objections they can’t handle — they don’t have the confidence because they haven’t been practicing objection handlers, and they get bogged down and get taken off script.

Carley Hathaway20:43

Yeah.

Steven Futch20:44

Once you’re off script, then the FSBO’s in charge.

Carley Hathaway20:46

Yes, I agree, because you start flustering and you don’t know what you’re saying. Yeah, I agree. So I feel like the biggest objection with FSBOs is, “I’m not paying a commission. I am not paying a commission. I’m not paying a commission.”

Steven Futch20:58

Yeah, well, I can appreciate that you don’t want to pay a commission. If you could get more money at closing by hiring a professional and paying the commission, than you’ll get by selling it yourself without a commission, would you want that additional money at closing?

Carley Hathaway21:15

Yes.

Steven Futch21:17

I think you deserve that money, and that’s why you and I need to meet immediately. You see, I specialize in getting homes shown and sold for the most a buyer’s willing to pay, and moreover, I’m going to protect your equity through the negotiations and maximize your net proceeds at closing. Now if I can’t bring you an offer that nets you more after the commission than you’ll get on your own, I’m not going to expect you to accept it. Therefore, you’re in a win-win, no-lose situation — I’m going to spend my time, my money, commit the resources of my entire company to find you the highest and best offer in this market. Isn’t that what you really want?

Carley Hathaway22:04

Definitely.

Steven Futch22:06

We still want to be in New York as soon as possible, right?

Carley Hathaway22:08

Honestly, I do, yes.

Steven Futch22:10

That’s exactly why people like you hire me. I’ll see you at three o’clock.

Carley Hathaway22:16

Sounds good.

Ren Jones22:17

There we go.

Carley Hathaway22:18

That was great.

Ren Jones22:21

Yeah, this is wonderful. And I could see, especially someone newer in the business or newer to for sale by owners, taking this video, getting a copy of this, and playing over and over again this section of it, that role play, 10, 15, 20, 25 times, because a lot of things you used in there are very disarming for that seller.

Steven Futch22:48

Well, I use a lot of neurolinguistic programming, commonly known as NLP, and it totally goes right through to their subconscious mind without any resistance. Their subconscious mind is where all sales decisions are made. So you’re not really talking just to a person, you’re talking to that person and their subconscious mind, and you’re intentionally programming it to agree with you.

Ren Jones23:18

That’s fantastic. And you teach that in your coaching and training and seminars, is that right?

Steven Futch23:22

Yes, I’m a certified NLP instructor, yes.

Ren Jones23:25

And I forgot to do this at the beginning, and I always do — you’re in Shreveport, so if anybody wants to send you a referral or get in touch with you for anything you’re doing, how’s the best way for them to reach you?

Steven Futch23:37

I currently have a new website being built, but my current website is simply stevenfutch.com, and you could contact me very easily through that simple contact.

Ren Jones23:48

S-T-E-V as in Victor, E-N-F-U-T-C-H.com, right?

Steven Futch23:53

Correct, yes.

Ren Jones23:54

Okay, perfect. We got a few questions here. Deb wanted to provide your FSBO script — he just did it, so play it over and over, Deb. “Everyone calls for sale by owners and expireds — when is the best time to call?” I think that’s morning, right? Or do you do anything outside of first thing in the morning?

Steven Futch24:17

Oh yeah, I do a lot of door knocking. Especially now that the time has changed, between 5:30 and 6:00 PM right on up to around 8:00 or 8:30 before it gets dark, is premium door-knocking time, because most people either are at home from work, or they’re far more relaxed and apt to get into conversation with you.

Carley Hathaway24:39

And when you’re door knocking, are you saying pretty much the same stuff that you would say over the phone?

Steven Futch24:45

Actually, I have a little bit different introduction: “Hi, I’m Steve with Keller Williams, I’d like to apply for the job of getting this home sold. Are you the owner?” And then the script from there. I want them to know immediately that I am who I am, I am what I am, I’m here for a purpose — I want to apply for a job. And that’s what that is.

Carley Hathaway25:07

Yeah. And do you bring anything with you when you door knock, flyers or—

Steven Futch25:11

Good question, yes. I have a little packet that has four things in it every single time. Number one, the market statistics — they have no idea what’s going on in the market, no idea what the challenge is, and when I start giving them the market statistics, you can see them getting sober, realizing, “Oh my gosh, I had no idea what I was up against.” The second thing I give them is my plan of action — I want them to know I have a specific, proven, effective plan that’s going to get their home sold if it’s priced competitively. The third thing I give them is a list of references: “The people on this list, like you, were total strangers, and like you, they had their homes for sale by owner. They opted to list with me. I’d invite you to call any or all of them to check on my sales performance and my customer service.” That third-party validation is invaluable.

Ren Jones26:15

Yeah.

Steven Futch26:15

You’re not going to convince them of very many things because they see you as an “X.” When they get it from an independent third party, it’s you. And then last but not least, I present them with a copy of my daily schedule. “Mr. and Mrs. FSBO, if you were to consider hiring an agent, wouldn’t you want to hire someone engaged in productive activities all day long to get your home sold?” “Well, yeah, we wouldn’t hire anybody unless they were going to do that.” “Fantastic — this is my daily schedule. What time do you have right now?” “Well, it’s 3:30 on Thursday afternoon.” “And let’s take a quick look at my schedule — it says here at 3:30 on Thursday afternoon that I am prospecting for sale by owners and expireds, or on a scheduled appointment.” Then I look up, give them strong eye contact, I’m smiling, I’m nodding affirmatively. “Mr. and Mrs. FSBO, can you see that I’m doing exactly what my schedule says I’m supposed to be doing, when I’m supposed to be doing it?” “Well, yeah, that’s pretty impressive.”

Ren Jones27:25

Woo.

Steven Futch27:26

“If you can find another agent in this market who even has a schedule, much less who’s on schedule, I’m going to recommend that you interview them. Until then, I’d like to earn your business.”

Ren Jones27:38

These are great dialogues, this is fantastic.

Carley Hathaway27:41

Yeah, this will be great for people to re-watch a couple times.

Ren Jones27:45

Ray wants to know what the follow-up is — if you don’t get the appointment when you call them the first time, are you emailing, mailing, calling? What does follow-up look like?

Steven Futch27:55

That’s a great question. Hot leads have to be followed up with immediately, on a daily basis. Now, for sale by owners typically are not hot leads, they’re long-term leads — my average is six weeks to get one listed. That means six weekly visits or six weekly phone calls. So it boils down to successfully pursuing and listing for sale by owners by being the last agent standing. How many agents do you know that are going to follow up six consecutive weeks, once a week, in order to get a listing? Very few. So if you’re willing to do long-term, consistent, systematic weekly follow up, you can definitely get them listed.

Ren Jones28:44

Perfect, that’s a good recipe for success. Deb Reagan wants to know, “What are your thoughts on FRBOs, for rent by owners?”

Steven Futch28:54

For rent by owners?

Ren Jones28:56

Yeah, do you call them?

Steven Futch28:58

When I call or knock on rentals, I ask them if they would consider selling it rather than renting it.

Ren Jones29:03

Okay.

Steven Futch29:05

If the answer is “yes,” I go right into the script. If the answer is “no,” I thank them and move on.

Ren Jones29:13

“What if they’re not home? Do you leave a package of information at the door?” Heath wants to know that.

Steven Futch29:20

Typically the only thing I’ll leave is the market stats with a handwritten note on the back, so they know I came by and that I wanted them to know what’s going on in the market.

Ren Jones29:30

Nice, good. “You pre-qualify always before meeting them at the property, is that correct?” Jay wants to know that — do you always pre-qualify before you go over there?

Steven Futch29:46

I always pre-qualify before I go on an appointment, unless it’s strictly a preview appointment. Sometimes you have to kick the door, get your foot in the door before you can set the appointment. I had one just the other day — the guy was giving me a really hard time about coming by and just looking at the home. I finally asked him, “Do you give all prospective buyers the same challenge just to look at your home? How many people are going to buy your home without looking at it?” He said, “Well, you’re not a buyer, you’re a real estate agent.” I said, “Well, I actually own 63 properties right now, I’m constantly buying and selling properties — who knows that I might be the next buyer for your home?”

Ren Jones30:27

Nice.

Steven Futch30:27

“So again, may I come by at three this afternoon, five minutes or less, so you can show me the outstanding features and benefits of your home?”

Ren Jones30:38

I love it, I love it.

Steven Futch30:40

It’s a good way to get your foot in the door.

Ren Jones30:41

You have some great dialogues with those for sale by owners, it’s just logic. I know it took you a few years to get all of that down smooth, but you’ve been doing it very well for a long time. This has been a real treat, I really appreciate it. If any of you want to reach out to Steven Futch on his website, that’s S-T-E-V-E-N-F-U-T-C-H.com, to ask a question or learn more about where he’s going to be speaking next. I have to do a little thank you to the Facebook group, Lead Gen, 49,000 members — if you’re watching, you want to get involved with them, go to facebook.com/groups/gotobjections. And I want to thank Aaron Wittenstein, he’s a real giver — he runs that group and he runs expiredmasteryelite.com.

31:42And finally, if you’re watching on Facebook and you’re not involved with Vulcan7 to get great for sale by owner leads and expired and everything else, go to vulcan7.com/leadgen for a special price. And then of course, like Steve, if you’ve done your job, made a lot of calls, set appointments, and had a powerful day, and got your exercise in first thing, the most important thing you’re going to want to do is go to the freezer and get some delicious Graeter’s Mint Chocolate Chip and spoil yourself.

32:20You need to treat yourself, you need to reward yourself, so you have a purpose for the next day. We all need a purpose — maybe yours isn’t Graeter’s, but mine is. Appreciate everybody for being here, and we’ll see you guys next week when we have another exciting guest. I want to thank you again, Steven, this has been a treat, this has really been valuable information. People are going to play this over and over and over, and I’m sorry, a lot of people are going to be reaching out to you — I hope that’s a good thing, but I just have a funny feeling.

Carley Hathaway32:51

Yeah, thank you so much, Steven, it’s been a real pleasure. We really appreciate it.

Steven Futch32:58

I won’t forget it, thank you.

Ren Jones33:00

Thank you so much, Steven.

Steven Futch33:01

Okay, bye-bye.

Ren Jones33:03

Bye, everybody.