How I Grew My GCI By Nearly 50% (Even In A Down Market)

Julianne Carney: And the cool thing about that specific ad is I picked up a buyer from that and she specifically called me, did not know her, had no relationship with her, specifically called me because of that ad and she just was like, “You just look fun and like somebody I would enjoy spending time with.” And she was a first-time home buyer and we formed just the sweetest relationship. And she was buying during a really challenging time with rates being a first-time home buyer and when we closed, I showed up to closing wearing that windbreaker. 

Tim Chermak: This is the Platform Marketing Show where we interview the most creative and ambitious real estate agents in the country, dissect their local marketing strategy, and get the behind-the-scenes scoop on how they're generating listing leads and warm referrals. We'll dive into the specifics of what marketing campaigns are working for them, how much they're spending on those campaigns, and figure out how they have perfected what we call the Platform Marketing strategy. This is your host, Tim Chermak. I'm the founder and CEO of Platform. I love marketing, and I talk too much. So let's dive in.

Tim Chermak: Hey guys, it's Tim Chermak and welcome back to another episode of the Platform Marketing Show. I'm joined today by Julianne Carney who's near Memphis, Tennessee. Julianne, welcome to the show!

Julianne Carney: Hey, Tim. Thanks so much for having me!

Tim Chermak: So this is going to be a fun episode because your story, kind of your journey as a real estate agent and growing your business is something that I think a lot of agents listening to this podcast are going to be able to identify with. So we were just talking before the show and you had a pretty strong business before hiring Platform. So this is not one of those narratives where it's like, “Oh, I was completely failing and Platform saved my business,” or whatever. Or “Platform built me up from scratch.” You were already a pretty successful agent before Platform, but what happened is in 2022, and you can correct me if I get these dates a little bit wrong, but towards the end of 2022 and going into 2023, you actually had five months without a single closing.

Julianne Carney: Correct. 

Tim Chermak: And for some agents that's discouraging or frustrating, but it's kind of like, “Well, that's not so bad. I'm just getting going.” But you were coming off years where you had sold like $10 million, so you were used to making $10 million, in terms of GCIs, probably $250,000 or so. 

Julianne Carney: Correct. 

Tim Chermak: Maybe a little more depending on your split with your broker or whatever. But I usually think about it as every $10 million an agent sells, they're probably taking home about $250,000 in GCI. So you were used to making pretty good money and then all of a sudden, when obviously interest rates shot up, the market slowed down, ‘cause that's exactly what was happening around that time, is you went five months, you said you had your last closing in like November of 2022, and then all the way ‘till, I mean, what would that be? March, April of 2023?

Julianne Carney: May of 2023 was my next closing. 

Tim Chermak: Okay. So actually it was like six months. So you went really six months without a closing and right around that time, just to kind of tee up the conversation here, right around that time is when you realized like, “Okay, I need to make a change in how I'm marketing myself and how I'm building my brand” because you said kind of what had propelled you up until this point was your friends and family and your sphere. And kind of what happened in that era where you went six months without a closing in 2022 and into 2023 was you just stopped getting referrals from your sphere. You kind of like exhausted all of the low-hanging fruit. 

And that's when you realized as an agent, like, “Okay, I actually need to start marketing to the public, to strangers, because everyone who knows me has already bought or sold a house with me.” So around this time is when I'm assuming you discovered Platform. Do you remember how you heard about Platform or like how did Platform Marketing come into the story here? 

Julianne Carney: So it was kind of by accident. I was in that stage of, I think I was on my third month of I haven’t had no closings. I have nothing in the pipeline in the foreseeable future and my friends and family had been such a great support and continue to be a really great support of my business. But at that point with the interest rates, my sphere was not moving at that time. 

Tim Chermak: Wait, I mean, everyone has friends and family, right? But there's also a limited amount of friends and family. It's not like you'll always have cousins or aunts or uncles selling a house. 

Julianne Carney: Right. Right. And so I knew I needed to change something. Like what I was doing was not going to be sustainable at least for that foreseeable future. And so I knew I needed to branch out and so I started looking into what are some different opportunities that I could get leads. But at the same time, I didn't really want it to just be leads.

I really wanted to market myself and do something that would set me apart from what every other agent I knew was doing. And so I just started turning to my friend Google and seeing what I could find that was out there. I actually interviewed a couple of different companies that are mostly lead providers and they had some interesting opportunities that they could offer. But I've spent a whole lot of money on these type of things in the past that just did not work. 

Tim Chermak: So you just kind of knew, I don't want to be buying leads. 

Julianne Carney: Right, right. I knew I didn't. That was not something I wanted to do and I knew I didn't want to waste money again ‘cause I have wasted a whole lot of money in the eight years I've been doing this on shiny objects. 

Tim Chermak: So if you don't mind me asking there, would you mind sharing some of the specifics of either programs or companies or types of marketing you tried that maybe didn't work for you?

Julianne Carney: I can't remember the names of the companies, but it would be some referral, like pay-at-close type referrals. Different companies I interviewed going into this, Ylopo, Real Geeks. So some of the big-name ones that are out there and they had some great programs to offer. I can't remember the names of the ones I've used in the past but where you pay a certain amount and you're guaranteed so many leads and they were just not what I was looking for. 

Tim Chermak: What all those companies have in common that you kind of listed there, because I think there's a time and a place for the Ylopos and the Real Geeks of the world and all these companies, but fundamentally, those are really website and CRM companies, but I think they often misrepresent themselves as being marketing companies. But really at their core, like their DNA, is you're a website company that offers a CRM and you're kind of masquerading as being a marketing company ‘cause I think it's just sexier to call yourself a marketing company. But again, agents like you, you need a website and you need a big CRM so like I understand sometimes when people will sign up for Ylopo or Boomtown, Sync, all these other companies, Curator. But what they're doing isn't really marketing. 

Julianne Carney: Correct. 

Tim Chermak: They're really just providing you a CRM, a website, and maybe some copy-and-paste templated ads. 

Julianne Carney: Yes. 

Tim Chermak: You're not building a brand at all.

Julianne Carney: No, and those are things I already had. I already had a CRM. I already had those components. And so in my search, in parallel to looking for leads, lead opportunities, I started researching marketing companies, like local marketing companies in the Memphis area to see could I hire somebody that can help me develop a brand. I had been doing some social media up until that point, but boosting posts and getting what I thought were good views, like 1,000 views, 2,000 views on things. And so I was pretty proud of my efforts there thinking that was as good as it gets and then I learned I wasn't. 

But in my process of researching specifically marketing companies is when Platform  kind of came through my Google search and I started listening to this podcast. I started trying to find…

Tim Chermak: So you actually just straight up Googled like real estate marketing programs and Platform is just one of the ones you found.

Julianne Carney: Yes. It is one of the ones I found. 

Tim Chermak: Okay. So it wasn't a warm referral from anyone? 

Julianne Carney: No. 

Tim Chermak: Okay. Okay. 

Julianne Carney: No, I just stumbled upon you.  

Tim Chermak: Okay. 

Julianne Carney: And the thing that impressed me was hearing it directly from agents on a podcast like this, where it was real experiences, real results. And I think I also saw it in a couple of large Facebook groups as well. Like, whenever I would find something that was interesting, especially that was like a national thing like the companies I mentioned before, I would enter them into the search of some of these groups. And so I entered Platform in my search and saw a lot of great feedback from agents that had been using it. So that's how I picked up the phone and called and wanted to learn more.  

Tim Chermak: Okay, okay. I actually didn't know that. So for those listening, I don't send these questions ahead of time. These aren't pre-scripted interviews. So it's actually pretty cool for me to hear that hey, you just started Googling marketing companies and we popped up and that's how you found us. 

So what specifically about the Platform Marketing strategy appealed to you? Not even talking about Platform Marketing, the company, but like the strategy itself. ‘Cause like, technically someone could try to implement a lot of this on their own even without hiring us. And so what was it about the strategy itself of how you saw that Platform was maybe doing things differently that made you decide, “Hey, this is the route I want to go” versus all of the other options out there? ‘Cause let's be honest, there's like dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of different marketing programs and companies that you could hire. 

Julianne Carney: So a few different things. One, I started kind of stalking some different agents’ Facebook groups, Facebook pages who are already a part of Platform and kind of seeing the type of content that they were putting out. And I've hired social media marketing before, where they post to my page different set templates and kind of canned posts where it looks like it's from me, but it's not. And what I liked was the focus was on the agent, not graphics of just stock graphics that are being put out there with stock quotes. And I felt like I was able to start to get to know those agents through their posts. 

Tim Chermak: Yeah. It's always been crazy to me because we've been doing this now for 10 years. It’s actually our 10th birthday this year. We're going to have a birthday cake at the Mastermind and everything for Platform. Over the years all the companies that are still doing what they were doing basically 10 years ago, where if they offer like an automated social media marketing program, it's like, well, they're just posting random ass inspirational quotes on your Facebook page. And then they'll put your logo in the bottom corner, right? Or they're using stock photos of a young couple walking into a house, holding the keys. And then it has some dumb quote about real estate and it has your logo in the corner. I mean, it's just so cheesy generic.

And it's like, maybe 10 years ago that worked because maybe there were so few people advertising on social media like ten years ago that may have stood out, but that's the kind of thing now in 2024 and rolling into 2025, if you're using stock photos in your content and stock images and just generic inspirational quotes, you are not going to stand out at all. And actually, it might hurt you amongst consumers let's say that are under the age of 30, 40, because if that's the content you're putting in your social media profiles now, whether we're talking about Facebook, X, Instagram, whatever, people know that that's fake. They know it's not you, right?

Tim Chermak: And again, ten years ago, maybe they didn't because social media was still kind of novel. But if you're just putting out boilerplate template, copy-and-paste content like that, it actually makes you look less trustworthy because it's like, “Oh okay, well she's obviously not even posting that. Might be some bot farm in Pakistan or something that's making these posts for her.” It actually makes you look less trustworthy. It'd be better if you didn't have any social media content at all. 

So what are some of the ads that you have loved with the Platform strategy so far? Like specific ads that you felt got the most engagement? And then I want to talk about, okay, you joined Platform about 18 months ago. After that, we'll talk about where's your business at now that you're about a year and a half into the Platform marketing strategy. So what are some of your most successful, most highest engaging ads? 

Julianne Carney: I think one of my favorites was the Windbreaker ad that says I'll fight harder for you than people fought wind in the 80s. And really, any ad like that I just love ‘cause they're funny, they're unexpected, you know? Like even for my sphere, they cracked up seeing me in this wind suit with sunglasses and like that when I did…

Tim Chermak: Also to my point earlier, you can't fake that. It's obviously not a template stock photo because it's actually a picture of you posing in like an 80s just bright colored, fluorescent wind suit, right?

Julianne Carney: Yes, yes.

Tim Chermak: So anyone in your sphere who actually knows you know, “Oh, that's actually Julianne! That's hilarious.” 

Julianne Carney: Yes, and the cool thing about that specific ad is I picked up a buyer from that.

Tim Chermak: Oh really? Okay.

Julianne Carney: And she specifically called me, did not know her, had no relationship with her, specifically called me because of that ad. And she just was like, “You just look fun and like somebody I would enjoy spending time with.” And she was a first-time home buyer and we formed just the sweetest relationship. And she was buying during a really challenging time with rates being a first-time home buyer. And when we closed, I showed up to closing wearing that windbreaker. 

Tim Chermak: That’s awesome!

Julianne Carney: Yeah, just kind of had a full circle moment of “This is how you found me, this is how you're leaving me in this crazy windbreaker.” 

Tim Chermak: That’s cool, that’s cool.

Julianne Carney: And it was just one of those cool things, but anything like that is… When I get calls it's because I saw something and it was different. Like I did one in a Ghostbusters costume.  

Tim Chermak: I actually saw that one. 

Julianne Carney: You saw that.

Tim Chermak: That was good, yes.

Julianne Carney: And it gets people talking and even in my sphere of influence, they talk about it. And that specific one with the Ghostbusters, I was in my office. I'm not in our office very often, pretty much work from home. But I was up there using the computer for something. And there was an agent sitting beside me that I didn't know. She was newer. And I was like, “Oh, hey, I don't think I've met you yet. I'm Julianne Carney.” And she looked at me, she goes, “Oh, I know exactly who you are.” She's like, “You're the Ghostbusters girl.” 

Tim Chermak: That's great. 

Julianne Carney: She's like, “You're coming through my Facebook all the time.” So it's just memorable and I think that's what I love. 

Tim Chermak: Yeah. Like most realtors, I think in general, there's always some exceptions, but in general, I think most realtors take themselves a little bit too seriously. And there's almost this like, you know, I don't want to offend anyone listening but I'll just go for it. I think a lot of realtors have an inferiority complex that they're not like a real business person the way that like a lawyer is a respected professional who went to school for 40 years or doctors go to school for a long time to get their MD or even CPAs, accountants, or someone with their MBA and business, whatever. I think realtors have this like inferiority complex sometimes about not being like a real professional.

Julianne Carney: Right.

Tim Chermak: Even though the funny thing is of all those categories I just rattled off, if you're a good realtor, you'll make more money than all of those people. Like a good high-producing realtor will make more money than most doctors, lawyers, CPAs, business executives. 

Sorry, this is a bit of a tangent, but I was actually just having a conversation with one of our Platform Hall of Fame clients on the phone a couple of weeks ago and they were kind of complaining ‘cause they're having a down year where they'll only do a little bit over $300,000 in GCI, but they were used to making over $500,000, but they just had some family stuff going on and so they like knowingly didn't work for several months of the year so they could attend to kind of these personal issues going on. And so because of that, their income dipped a little from making $500k a year to closer to $300 and they were kind of like venting to me, “Oh man, it's been a down year” and I kind of had to like reset their perspectives like do you realize that you could go to a Top 10 Business School, get your MBA from like Duke or Stanford or Harvard and a lot of those guys that are business executives at big companies still will never in their life make $500,000 or even frankly, $300, $350? 

So if for you a down year is making $300k, maybe you just kind of need some perspective that you're doing pretty well if that's a bad year for you. So anyways, I just brought all that up because I feel like a lot of agents do have a legitimate inferiority complex that they're not a lawyer or an MBA or whatever. And a lot of them are just kind of corporate-y, stuffy so they try to overcompensate by like, “Oh, I'm going to wear a three-piece suit everywhere,” or “I'm going to look super formal in all of my marketing and all of my photos, and I'm never going to do anything creative in any of my ads, because I want people to just view me as being super duper professional.”

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