How Kari Kohler adopts the buyer on her own listings to grow her sphere

Ren Jones00:04

It’s that time. 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. 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 principal. Let me introduce my co-host from San Diego, Carley Hathaway. That’s Carleyhathaway.com. Hi Carley, how’s the real estate business?

Carley Hathaway00:39

Hi Ren, hi everybody. Real estate is great, things are still moving as usual.

Ren Jones00:46

Wonderful. Before I introduce our guest today, I want to remind everyone that we are also simulcasting the show on the private lead gen group on Facebook. They have 52,000 members, so we have a large audience there today as well. And we will be pausing for a commercial message during the show as a thank you to the lead gen folks. So let me introduce our guest today from greater Chicago land, specifically is it St. Charles and Geneva, and around that area, miss Kari Kohler. Hi Kari.

Kari Kohler01:19

Hi there, how are you?

Ren Jones01:21

Good, good. Welcome back.

Carley Hathaway01:24

Yes, we are so excited you’re back Kari.

Kari Kohler01:26

Thank you so much for having me.

Ren Jones01:29

And that’s Kari, Carley.

Carley Hathaway01:29

Kari.

Kari Kohler01:30

Kari, Kari.

Carley Hathaway01:30

Thank you so much, Kari.

Ren Jones01:30

And she should know.

Carley Hathaway01:30

I know. I know.

Ren Jones01:35

And last time we checked in with you, Kari, we interviewed you while you were standing in the, you had flown from Greater Chicago to San Diego, in the coldest bleakest day and weekend of winter in February. And you were standing there going somewhere warm because you deserve it and your business is portable. And we interviewed you standing in the San Diego airport, so it’s getting a little warmer now, are you back home?

Kari Kohler02:07

Sadly, I am back in Chicago, yes.

Carley Hathaway02:09

Nice. And how’s business, how’s everything?

Kari Kohler02:13

Business is excellent. It’s very strong, having a very good year.

Carley Hathaway02:18

Good. What’s your goal this year?

Kari Kohler02:21

My goal this year is 120 transactions.

Carley Hathaway02:24

Amazing. Are you on track?

Kari Kohler02:26

We are definitely on track doing very well. We have 50 closed and under contract right now.

Ren Jones02:34

Nice. So how did your April, 2020 go? Which we just finished not too long ago. That would’ve been your last full month, April, 2020?

Kari Kohler02:45

Well, you know what, not very much changed for me because I just decided I’m going to do business as usual. The only thing I’m going to change is if somebody doesn’t want to meet in person, I’ll do the Zoom call or I’ll offer a conference call. So we quickly learned how to use Zoom and how to get our documents up on Zoom, and listing presentation up on Zoom and rolled with that. Now ironically enough, I haven’t done a listing presentation on Zoom. People either want to do it on the conference call or I’ve carefully gone to a few people’s homes too.

Ren Jones03:22

Okay, good.

Carley Hathaway03:22

Good for you.

Ren Jones03:22

I was going to say maybe you won’t ever go back. I mean, when you think about it, a lot of agents that are in resort markets do presentations over the phone or on Zoom or both or whatever, I mean it’s very common practice. I’m just wondering, could this be an efficiency piece that you could bring into the business? Because I’m seeing a trend towards that.

Kari Kohler03:42

I am all ready for it. That’s why I had my two transaction coordinators train me on it because I want to be able to do it from my home. If I’m doing a listing presentation on Sunday night, let’s just do this, it’s awesome.

Ren Jones03:55

There you go.

Carley Hathaway03:56

Good for you. And you’re ready to go?

Kari Kohler03:57

I am ready to go now. I mean, I don’t want to talk too confident about Zoom, but I’m getting there.

Ren Jones04:03

Good, good.

Carley Hathaway04:04

And it’s great because that listing presentation is so much shorter when you’re doing it over the phone or over Zoom, right?

Kari Kohler04:10

Yes. And if we’re not going to meet in person, I really would prefer to do the Zoom rather than the conference call because we’ve all been taught that we’re always much better in person. So I like to at least let them see me and hopefully feel the passion I have for real estate.

Ren Jones04:32

Well, yeah, and you’re probably just really a good presentation on video as we see here now too.

Kari Kohler04:40

I’m working even in person.

Ren Jones04:41

You’re working on it. Good. Well-

Kari Kohler04:42

I started off a little camera shy, but I’m working on it.

Ren Jones04:46

Ah, well it’s gone away.

Carley Hathaway04:47

Yeah. So can we talk about your routine, your morning schedule?

Kari Kohler04:54

Sure, absolutely. Well, I get to the office at 7:00 AM every morning like clockwork Monday through Friday. One thing I’m going to be honest with everybody, I’ve moved my role play to 11:30 in the morning and it’s only because I am Type A personality, so I like to really sit down at my desk from seven until 7:00 until 7:45 and just get myself organized for the day, get my mindset strong, and if I get on a role play and it doesn’t necessarily go the way I want, maybe somebody’s 15 minutes late or something, or maybe it’s my fault, it kind of upsets the apple card before I start prospecting.

05:39So I’ve just tweaked that a little bit. I’m certainly role playing a lot, but it’s after my morning prospecting, so I listen to positive mindset messages on my way to the office. When I get to the office, I get myself totally organized for the day and then I prospect from eight to 11 every day. I mean, pretty much don’t take much of a break in between prospecting.

Carley Hathaway06:07

And what’s your contact goal when you’re prospecting for two, three hours in the morning?

Kari Kohler06:11

My goal is 10 an hour, but it’s challenging to attain that.

Carley Hathaway06:17

Yeah, definitely.

Kari Kohler06:18

It averages more about seven per hour.

Carley Hathaway06:20

Okay. All right. And who are you starting with when you call? Do you have a strict routine?

Kari Kohler06:25

I do. I always start with expired and canceled, and then I go to for sale by owner, and then I go to sphere of influence and calling around listings.

Ren Jones06:38

Perfect.

Carley Hathaway06:39

Love it, that’s great.

Ren Jones06:40

Do you still have-

Carley Hathaway06:40

And you’re still-

Ren Jones06:41

Go ahead. Go ahead Carley.

Carley Hathaway06:43

And you’re still reaching like expireds and has anything changed with your script at all?

Kari Kohler06:48

No, not much. I think my personality can be sympathetic, so I just tried to amp that up a little bit and be a little bit more sympathetic to what people are going through. I mean, we are all facing the same challenge, but some people have health issues that make this challenge a stronger problem for them. So I’m trying to be more sympathetic. I’m taking more notes because honestly it’s very hard to get a yes right now. So I’m trying to take down notes about what’s going on in their life and then figuring out what’s the best time to call them back and really build this relationship.

Carley Hathaway07:31

So you’re finding you’re doing a little bit more lead follow up then maybe?

Kari Kohler07:34

Definitely, definitely. And that is something we all have our weaknesses and we have our strengths, I think my one strength is lead follow up. I am golden on it. It’s where all the money is as far as I’m concerned. There’s so few people that call a second, third, fourth, fifth time. I mean, I just basically call until people tell me to go jump in the lake. I don’t mind like hearing, no, no, no, I’m not ready, I’m not ready, because I’m going to catch them. I’m going to catch them when they are ready sometime.

Carley Hathaway08:05

And then you have those notes for when you call them next time, so you already know what their objection’s going to be and you’re ready to handle it.

Kari Kohler08:11

Yep. So I use Vulcan and I just type my notes right in there so it’s so simple. I don’t have to take them anywhere with me, I can put it in the calendar. It reminds me when I should call them, what time I should call them, and then I open it up and I see what the scoop is.

Ren Jones08:27

Nice, nice. Now are you still doing the big accountability piece? You guys Google Hangouts and people are like, Kari, where are you? Where they got all this-

Kari Kohler08:33

Yeah, during the month of April, we have gotten away from that. I think people, they just have so many new things that they’re starting, but we had done that all the way up till April. So just like this, it’s kind of the Brady Bunch screen and everybody’s prospecting together, it’s super fun.

Carley Hathaway08:52

Yeah, I like it too and it keeps you on the phone longer. And I like hearing other people talk when you’re doing it.

Kari Kohler08:59

So do I.

Carley Hathaway09:00

Yeah.

Kari Kohler09:00

Yep.

Ren Jones09:01

There’s something about you’re making a call by yourself is one thing, but if you’ve got Google Hangouts or a Zoom going and all these other people are making calls too, it will cause you to go and continue to make calls. It’s sort of going down to the laundry room where your treadmill is and being on your treadmill by yourself versus being at the gym with eight other people on a treadmill, you’re going to stay on longer.

Carley Hathaway09:27

Mm-hmm.

Kari Kohler09:28

Yeah, I think that’s one thing, that is a perfect visual and I think something that we’ve all realized if we’re not going to the gym, you definitely don’t get as effective workout as you do doing it in your home, it correlates prospecting so much.

Ren Jones09:47

So, a lot of people, when they saw you last time and you talked about this, I think that was two shows back, wanted to know how did they get involved with a Google Hangouts or a Zoom call with other agents that are making calls and holding them accountable. Where did you find something like that?

Kari Kohler10:03

Well, I really, by going to Mike Ferry events-

Ren Jones10:08

Ah, okay.

Kari Kohler10:08

Is where I met all my networking friends across the country. I mean, people are so open and so willing to help you at the variety of levels that people are at when we’re at those Mike Ferry events. And so I met so many of them there and then I would go back and send them an email, so great to meet you. I find them on social media and then when you have them on social media and you start saying, I’m looking for role play partners, I’m looking for accountability partners, Google Hangout partners, it’s so easy. ‘Cause people are so helpful to try and connect.

Carley Hathaway10:40

Yeah, I agree. And how long have you been in coaching?

Kari Kohler10:45

Since 2006. I literally, I think I signed up for coaching before I even got my license. I put that ball in motion before I even got my license.

Carley Hathaway10:56

And how does that help your business? I mean you’re what you’re doing, why not ditch the coach and just do it on your own?

Kari Kohler11:04

Well yeah, I can’t. I have to have the coaching because no matter what level you are at, you can always get better. And sometimes it’s a big change and it changes your business by a lot, or sometimes it’s just a tiny change and it can increase your income by $200,000.

11:30The other day I was on the treadmill listening to Mike Darda, one of your last calls and I mean, I know that, I know that we’re supposed to be taking another 15 minutes and calling our very, very best leads. And it’s best to do it at a certain time period, it’s best to do it in your driveway before you pull into your home and get involved in your kids and your family. I know all that, but what did I do? I forgot about it and I stopped using it and then I was like, yes, I could use that $200,000 that those few phone calls would make.

12:06So I’m back on that pony again.

Carley Hathaway12:08

Good. It’s just like a extra reminder.

Kari Kohler12:10

Well that’s the thing, there’s so many things. I mean you would never know this from the outside world the skill that it takes to be a talented broker, you just would never know. But it takes such skill. It’s the way you walk, it’s the way you look, it’s the way you dress, it’s exactly what you say at the right time, and are you posing enough questions? I mean, the list just goes on and on and on. And then you’re supposed to be remembering all these different strategies for making money too and it’s so easy to forget something. So if you have a coach, they keep you accountable and teaching you and reminding you of all those things.

Carley Hathaway12:46

Yeah, that’s great.

Ren Jones12:47

I got to tell you, when we were going over on a call yesterday, a Zoom call with several people, a list of the common characteristics of agents that make at least $500,000 in income or higher after expenses. And one of the, almost without exception, every one of them has a coach. Some have two coaches, some have two coaches, it’s that important, ’cause there’s what you call ROI, there’s a return on that investment. Sure you may be paying them a thousand a month, but you’re making 10,000 a month back or 20,000 a month back, or an accumulation effect that takes you higher and higher.

Kari Kohler13:31

So true. And I think I said this the last time I was on the show, but there’s so many things you learned from coaches, but one thing that I think is so important is that when you finish your coaching call to go back through that coaching call and write down all the notes, or type them or anything like that, because we were just talking the other day about adopting a buyer. And I quickly went through my notes and I found, here’s the 12 steps of adopting a buyer at a closing. And could I think of most of them on my own? Yes. But can I think of all 12? No. So I needed those notes and it was so easy to find. And then of course you record all your calls too, but if you just need to find something really quickly, it’s nice to have them in notes.

Ren Jones14:17

So Kari, people would be like, what does that mean? So adopting the other side of the transaction for you, you already know what that means. There are some people here that are like, what was that? Tell me more.

Kari Kohler14:30

Okay. So what that means, is a golden opportunity. So I tend to be more of a listing agent, so my transaction coordinators are trained that as soon as that contract gets accepted and is over to us to be watching the entire time for the other side. Okay, so I’m the listing agent, they’re looking for the buyer’s information. They’re looking for clearly the names, the cell numbers, the email addresses, and watching for that the whole time so that when the transaction concludes and it closes, then we contact that client, I contact that client. And there’s a specific strategy to it, anybody can contact me for that and I’ll send it off to them.

15:16But it’s basically a day after they move in, my one coach taught at me that they thought they were buying the Taj Mahal, and then they’ve been there for 24, 48 hours and they figure out it’s the Taj Madump and so often when you call that first time, they’re not going to be in a good mood. They’re going to think, I spent $500,000 on this house and now the garage door doesn’t open. So you’re basically calling to just say you’re here to help them solve problems, one of the things is maybe they didn’t think the home was clean.

15:48So you want to have a connection, a network with a cleaning lady where you call your cleaning lady and you say, well first of all you say to the client, I’m sorry that’s terrible that happened I’d like to be able to solve the problem for you, would you be okay if I sent my cleaning lady over there and she can get the home to the level that you would like it? And then you have a procedure in place with your cleaning service where they’re not charging you the agent because it’s an opportunity for them to get another home on their list in their book of business.

16:23And then the cleaning service goes over there and says, oh Kari would never accept a home in this condition, we’re so happy we’re here to take care of it, this is not going to not going to be a charge for you. So they’re giving third party endorsement to like me, Kari wants things at a certain level and doesn’t accept this and now you’ve solved a problem for them. Now you’re a hero. And then you call again in four or five days, I just want to make sure the sign came out, I want to make sure everything went okay. And now you’re adopting them and then you put them in your program.

Carley Hathaway17:01

What a great strategy.

Ren Jones17:01

‘Cause one of the things she isn’t mentioning is the other agent is not talking to that client anymore.

Carley Hathaway17:06

Yeah, the other agent is never going to call them again-

Ren Jones17:08

… Rarely, almost never. And you call and you say, I want to welcome you to the neighborhood, I’m still in touch with the seller in case you’re have a question about a paint color or what a certain switch on the wall goes to or anything like that, just use me as a resource. And then they’re like, my agent abandoned me. And then the listing agent continues a relationship, that’s great.

Carley Hathaway17:33

Mm-hmm, I love it.

Kari Kohler17:34

Yes. And then something Ren taught me a number of years ago is that when you are under contract and right after you close is when you talk about real estate the most. So then they’re out at the mailbox with their new neighbor and they’re like, well the listing agents the one that did all this. And then you never know, maybe that neighbor’s moving. So it works really well.

Carley Hathaway17:56

That is such a great strategy. And then after the four weeks, how often are you following up with them?

Kari Kohler18:02

So now you’ve put them in your sphere of influence. So just like you do with everybody else, so at least four times a year they’re getting a call, at least four times a year they’re getting a mailer. And then we have, well, we used to, we’re going to start it back up again, we used to have at least a client party every other month and then they get invited to those.

Carley Hathaway18:25

Love it.

Ren Jones18:25

Right now she’s sending them hand sanitizer and a mask.

Kari Kohler18:29

Yeah.

Carley Hathaway18:29

Toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Kari Kohler18:32

Yes, exactly.

Carley Hathaway18:34

Well those are such great tips, I love it. This has been such a good show. I think a lot of people are going to keep re-watching it, we’re so excited.

Ren Jones18:45

And card caller’s knocking them dead and when all this is when things settle down and people are around people again, is it okay if somebody comes and shadows you once in a while?

Kari Kohler18:54

Oh, I love it. I love it, love it, love it when that happens because, and it’s another thing you taught me Ren, I put in a more productive day when somebody’s watching me.

Carley Hathaway19:05

Oh yeah.

Ren Jones19:06

Isn’t it funny, the show off factor, if somebody flies in and they’re watching you and you’re like, oh crap I’m going to have to do what I’m supposed to do every day.

Kari Kohler19:13

Yeah, this really got to be the thing.

Carley Hathaway19:15

Yeah, and you’re not going to take notes as easily-

Ren Jones19:18

It’s almost like you get paid ’cause you set an extra appointment, or took an extra listing because somebody’s watching you.

Kari Kohler19:22

That’s so true.

Ren Jones19:24

And Kari is an easy one to go to, you can take a non-stop flight from anywhere too Chicago.

Kari Kohler19:30

Yes, and I welcome that. And then it’s also another opportunity to network with agents across the country. So I really, I love that opportunity.

Ren Jones19:38

Nice.

Carley Hathaway19:38

Yes.

Ren Jones19:38

Good, good, good.

Carley Hathaway19:39

And when all this is over, you guys are going to come visit me in San Diego again, right?

Kari Kohler19:43

Oh, yes we are, yes we are. No problem.

Carley Hathaway19:46

Okay.

Ren Jones19:46

Maybe I’ll go, as soon as it gets cold again.

Carley Hathaway19:49

Yeah.

Kari Kohler19:49

I’ll come when it’s warm Carley, I don’t care.

Carley Hathaway19:52

Okay, we’ll go lay out at the beach.

Ren Jones19:53

It’s a beautiful place all year long, so yeah-

Kari Kohler19:57

It sure is.

Ren Jones19:57

Head on down there, Kari. Good.

Kari Kohler19:59

Yes, I will.

Ren Jones19:59

Well, folks, if you’re watching on Vulcan7 and you want to get involved with the lead Gen Facebook group, they are at facebook.com/groups/gotobjections. And finally, if you’re watching on Facebook and you’re not yet involved with Vulcan7, how’s that possible? Make sure to sign up at Vulcan7.com/leadgen for a special deal.

20:21And what a lot of people want to know is Kari Kohler’s secret, why is she so powerful? Why is she able to take two or three listings every week? What does she do? And then why does she just enjoy her weekends? What the hell is that? I thought agents are supposed to work nights and weekends. What she does is she makes her call, she does her role play at 11:30 now and then it’s 12 noon, you think she’s going to lunch? Nope. She is going in and getting some delicious Graeter’s Mint Chocolate Chip, this is the one for listings. This is the powerful mindset piece. If you’re working with buyers, obviously that is rocky road. But this is the one, this is the one they sell Graeter’s all over North America, just go to Graeters.com to find the store nearest to you. And we’ll see you guys next week when we have another exciting guest. Can it be any more exciting than Kari Kohler? Send your referrals to Kari for greater Chicago land.

Carley Hathaway21:15

Thank you so much, Kari.

Kari Kohler21:18

Thank you guys. Thank you, stay healthy.

Carley Hathaway21:20

You too.

Ren Jones21:21

Bye. Bye everybody.

Carley Hathaway21:22

Bye.

Kari Kohler21:22

Bye.

21:22