Why I Signed Up For Platform (Even Though I Was Already The Top Agent In My Market)

Brandi Long: In the first 90 days, I had already received a listing that I know came from Platform. It was very was strange timing. The guy called me up and said, “I've looked up all the brokerages in the area and your social media...” I had probably had four listing videos that I did and they had posted, they were running as ads. We did some retargeting ads and he's like, “Your social media is like way beyond the big name brokerages,” 'cause I'm a boutique brokerage, “And so we wanna list with you.” So that right there was like win number one. 

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 this morning by Brandi Long in Arcadia, Florida. Brandi, welcome to the show!

Brandi Long: Thank you so much for having me again! 

Tim Chermak: Yes, so this is a part two really of a conversation that started with Brandi over a year ago. We had Brandi on the show last year, and I think at that point you had been a client, you said for 90 days? 

Brandi Long: I guess, like under 90 days. Yeah. 

Tim Chermak: Yeah. And so kind of like the topic and the vibe of that podcast episode was you just sharing why you had joined the PlatFam and kind of the initial results you had seen. But obviously, you were only 90 days in, so it wasn't like everything had changed in your business. 

And we always say too, that Platform's not going to change your life in 90 days, nor is it gonna change your life even in six months, or sometimes nine months. Often it takes a year or more 'cause we're not just generating leads here, we're truly building a brand. That's kind of the long-term goal of what we're doing. And that's what scares away most agents from doing this. That's the built-in moat around the castle. The built-in competitive advantage is that, most agents are not willing to stick to a marketing strategy for a year to see it through, and yet here we are. 

Tim Chermak: So we have part two of this conversation. I wanna share where your business is at now. Before we dive into the before and after numbers which are quite remarkable, I want to set the stage here and let people know that Brandi was already kicking ass in her real estate business before she ever signed up for Platform. So this is not one of those like rags to riches stories where she was broke and down to her last dollar and Platform saved her life or something. You were already selling how many homes a year, like before you joined Platform?

Brandi Long: So last year we did 121. The year before we did 144.

Tim Chermak: Yeah. So you were already putting out massive, massive numbers and you're in a town too, where your overall county, lots of $200,000, $250,000 sales. If you have a $350,000 transaction, that's noticeably above average. 

Brandi Long: Your winning.

Tim Chermak: Yeah. That’s noticeably above average for you. So you're doing a lot of transactions, a lot of volume. And that was all happening before Platform. So again, I don't want to deceive people here and make it look like Platform’s trying to take credit for the fact that Brandi was selling a hundred homes a year. You were already absolutely the top agent in your market before you ever stumbled upon Platform. 

So I guess the first question I ask before we'll get into what's happened in the last year is what made you reach out to Platform in the first place because you were already so successful even before you ever started the Platform strategy.

Brandi Long: Yeah, I was hoping you would ask that because I feel like my answer is still the same. It's really cool to go back because I feel like that first podcast with you, I feel like that was just 30 days ago. Time flies. And so when I first reached out to Platform, I was almost honestly, it was like a little bit of fear because I was like, if I'm seeing your ads, Platform’s ads, I know other agents are, and I never want to play catch up to another agent. I always want to stay ahead, always do what's cutting edge, all of that. So I was like, you know what, I'll just go for it 'cause honestly, I just didn't want anyone to take it. So I did that. That was a little bit of fear. 

Tim Chermak: That's funny. 

Brandi Long: But also, I wasn't doing listing videos. I knew I needed to do listing videos so part of it was accountability. I knew my account manager would want me to do listing videos. That was another part. 

And then another part was just like my personal social media. I had built a good following and it was very well engaged. But I also wanted it to reflect on the business page, too. And because I feel like personal page is [where] everyone gets to know you behind the scenes stuff, but the business page is “Okay, she's an actual, legit business.” I just wanted it to match the vibes together and run ads. It wasn't to get busier, it really wasn't. It was just to keep the flow of what we had, so that's why I went with Platform. 

Tim Chermak: So you basically just wanted to make sure that, hey, I know I'm already the top agent in my county, and frankly no one else is even close. I think we grabbed lunch a couple weeks ago, and you said that “Hey, year to date…” when we grabbed lunch, it was in the month of June, so it was right about halfway through the year, and you said, “Year to date, I’ve already closed like 80…” 

Brandi Long: I've already closed like 80 this month. 80 transactions. Yeah. 

Tim Chermak: Yeah. And you said like the nearest agent in your MLS… 

Brandi Long: Yeah. They're like, probably, I think the nearest one's like 12. 

Tim Chermak: Yeah. So I mean like, truly no one is even close to your levels of production in your area. And so the reason you signed up for Platform in the first place was that, “I just wanna make sure that no one else gets close.” 

Brandi Long: I honestly hate saying that. Yeah. I hate saying it sounds like crazy, but I don't wanna chase anyone. I feel like I've worked so hard, we've worked so hard as a team to get here. I just don't want to let it slip away. But just because I didn't want to conform and do the new thing, right?

Tim Chermak: Yep. Yep. Okay. So you signed up about a year ago. Again, you were already crushing it. I think we've established that, in your business. And so let's be honest, probably both you and me didn't necessarily think, “Hey, Brandi's gonna be this crazy before and after case study.” 'Cause there's not really much room for growth. Your business was already absolutely killing it. And what happened is we grabbed lunch a couple weeks ago 'cause you're only like about two hours, maybe like 90 minutes from where I am actually. 

So we grabbed lunch, we talked a little bit about where your business was at, and then you actually taught a Zoom session, a Zoom mastermind for the PlatFam a week ago. And while you were doing prep for that, you realize, “Oh, I should probably look up my numbers and see where I'm at and compare it to last year.” And you didn't even realize until you looked at the numbers, how much your business has actually grown in the last year, which again, we weren't really expecting that to happen.

It was like you signed up for Platform more so because, I just wanna make sure that my brand stays strong and no other agents start to build a brand in my area the way that you have. Share with us the numbers of what's happened in the last year since you started this social media Platform strategy.

Brandi Long: So last year, 01/01 to 12/31, I signed between 100 and 110 listing agreements. And so already that was like a dream, right? Like I'd be happy to do that for the rest of my life. That is top. I'm so blessed. But, so I was just…

Tim Chermak: Now…

Brandi Long: Go ahead. 

Tim Chermak: I'm gonna interrupt you 'cause I'm sure anyone listening to this is, “What the hell? How did you get that many listing agreements? Do you have a team of 14 people?” Can you just share with us quick what your structure is? Do you have any assistance or transaction credit? How are you able to do a hundred listings a year by yourself? 

Brandi Long: Yeah, so definitely can't do it just me individually. So it's me as a solo agent. My licensed mom helps me. She helps showings like overboard, just stuff like that, and she does that alongside me. And then I have two full-time admin, 40 hours a week that I pay hourly so it's four people to get the job done. 

Tim Chermak: Yeah, you have some leverage in the form of multiple full-time assistants. But to be very clear, when we say that you personally listed over a hundred homes last year, you personally listed those homes. It's not like team production where it's like, “Hey, I did a hundred transactions, but it was spread out over 15 people or something.” No, it's literally all Brandi just with a couple full-time assistants. 

Brandi Long: Yeah. And I just heard you say something and it's literally just coming to my mind too, we can discuss it later, but it was a mixture of homes and land, and one of the things that is different now, I've listed more homes than land lately. The listings that I get now are way more valuable to a real estate agent than the ones that I have before. But just so everyone knows, I did not list a hundred homes. It was a mixture of properties, different kind of properties. Most are homes, but there was some land thrown in there.

Tim Chermak: Sure. So I think it's just important though, to recognize that when we're tossing around these crazy sounding numbers, if you made a Facebook post about it and no one knew who you were, some people wouldn't believe you when, you said that, “Hey, I sold that many homes last year.” Or they would naturally assume, and frankly I would too, I would probably assume if someone's like, “Oh, I sold 120 homes last year,” I'd be like, “You probably have a team of three or four or five people, or six or 10 people.” You know what I mean? 

Brandi Long: Yeah. 

Tim Chermak: It's pretty rare to have that level of production, truly just as an individual. So that's really really impressive. And knowing that, that's why we didn't really think, okay, there's probably not even that much room for growth because how could you possibly do more than you're already doing? Share with us what happened in the last year. 

Brandi Long: Okay. So I would say in the first 90 days, I had already received a listing that I know came from Platform. It was very strange timing. The guy called me up and said, “I've looked at up the brokerages in the area and your social media…” I had probably had four listing videos that I did and they had posted they were running as ads, we did some retargeting ads and he’s like, “Your social media is like way beyond the big name brokerages,” 'cause I'm a boutique brokerage, “And so we wanna list with you.” So that right there was like win number one.

Tim Chermak: Sure. 

Brandi Long: Enough to say, “Okay, this thing might be working a little bit.” And then probably by month six there was probably another two or three listings that I could trace back to Platform. There was a ton of word of mouth, granted I was already active on my socials, but if someone would walk up to me like before Platform, it would mainly be someone I already knew, like at the coffee shop. But after Platform, there's so many more strangers.

I was walking into our new Aldi, up and coming. And it opened yesterday, and I literally was stopped in the parking lot. And she's like, “Brandi, how do I do what you do?” And then I walked away and I had a friend with me, and I'm like, “I have no idea who that was.” But she talked to me like we were besties. And so that's happening more often, just random people, and I'm like, “I don't know who you are, but hi!” So that's happening a lot more often, facial recognition, branding, it's working. And then honestly, like the growth of the listings, I can't track 100%. I can't say they called me because of Platform ads. But I can just put two and two together because nothing else has changed in my business except adding Platform. 

So last year we signed 100 to 110 listing agreements throughout the whole year. And then we are about halfway through the year, as of right now, as of this recording and I just reached 80 signed listing agreements. So on track to do 160 maybe, hopefully.

Tim Chermak: That's crazy. 

Brandi Long: So it's a substantial amount. I didn't change anything. And actually, I work less, I actually give more business away, and have more time with my family. I started a new business, and I'm still doing more business than I did last year.

And I think the last podcast we did, we called it, “Platform is like the ultimate work-life strategy,” and that I still think is the perfect name for that first [podcast] because now I literally feel like I'm living that. I feel like Platform did give me the ultimate work-life strategy.

Tim Chermak: Yeah. I think we titled that podcast episode that way, “Why marketing is the ultimate work-life balance strategy,” because you had mentioned, “Hey, I'm doing these crazy numbers of production, but I don't work on Sundays. I still take days off every week to be with my kids, be with my family. Yes, I'm selling over a hundred homes a year, but I'm not just a workaholic that works 80 hours a week, seven days a week.” Maybe you are a workaholic, but somehow you're getting it all done in five, six days. You still are taking days off. 

Brandi Long: Yeah, absolutely.

Tim Chermak: And frankly, you still have time to do a random podcast episode like this, or we grabbed lunch last week. I know your schedule, I'm sure is very busy, but it's not one of those things where you're, “Hey, I'm working 13, 14 hours every single day to make this amount of money,” you know? 

Brandi Long: I will say, it used to. The highest year that I had, I did 186 transactions and I said I would never do that again 'cause I was burnt out. It was two years ago. So I said I would never do that again. But with Platform, it almost gives me permission to. I don’t show homes at night anymore. If I have a showing, I either pay someone to do it or I have my mom go and do it 'cause everyone loves working with my mom. And then if it's a night appointment, it would have to be a listing. And that's only because the night's the only time they're off work or something like that. 

I hardly ever work on Saturdays or Sundays. Saturdays usually I'm working on my computer by and with my family, if I'm am working on a Saturday. But Sundays are still off limits. And people are just… When you build like a personal brand and people see that you're successful, they're willing to wait and that is what I'm really finding to be true. And it goes against human nature a little bit because as realtors, “You wanna go see a house? Okay, I'll get in my car and do it.” And that's so terrible for us to do as humans to just instantly go. And so that's another difference that I've seen. 

Tim Chermak: When you say that people are willing to wait, what do you mean by that specifically? 

Brandi Long: They’re more, like [when] I say, “I don't have any openings today or tomorrow, but we can go see that house on Thursday at this time, or Friday at this time.” And they're like “Yeah, I understand. I'll wait till Thursday to go see that house” and then they book the Thursday appointment. It's not like, “I really wanna go. No, today's the only day that works.” They will never say that anymore. I'm just saying, “Here's what I can do.”

Tim Chermak: Yep. 

Brandi Long: And then because they see the success or they know me and they know I'm not just taking days off during the week just to go get my nails done, they're willing to wait to do the appointment or list. When I call people, this is the best part, when I send I call them my “listing launch plan.” So when someone calls me to sell a house, the day after I send out an email that's like a listing launch plan - goes over marketing, goes over timing - and I tell them I'm two weeks out on photos and video, and they all wait because they know that when the photos and video come back they're gonna be like topnotch. So that's what I mean.

Tim Chermak: Which is also just absolute alpha type of positioning. 

Brandi Long: Yeah. 

Tim Chermak: Because if you say, “Hey, if you work with me, I'm currently two weeks out.” In saying that, that kind of just proves how in demand you are and how popular you are, rather than… It's kind of like a red flag, honestly, if you call a realtor and you're like, “Hey, can you come meet me to list my house?” And they're like, “Sure, I'll be there in 10 minutes.” It means they probably don't have much going on. 

Brandi Long: Yep. 

Tim Chermak: There's probably not a lot of other people working with them if they can meet you right away. So if you are literally saying, “Hey, I'm about two weeks out,” and people still want to work with you, that to me is like the standard of elite marketing because it means like you've actually created a brand where people want to work with you specifically, and they're willing to wait. 

It's, “No, I realize I could list my house faster with some other realtor, or I could get on a showing faster with some other realtor, but I specifically want to work with Brandi.” 

Brandi Long: Yeah. And I mean, there's probably been maybe two people in the past six months that have said, “No, I need it now,” and then they also try to haggle my listing fee. They try to hag it and I'm like, “Oh God, it's not even gonna be a good fit.” Like you are just… So it eliminates the people that are gonna be time wasters or really difficult to people to work with. I would definitely say if I'm calling an attorney and they have an opening that day, oh God, I would not.

Tim Chermak: Yeah, it's kind of weird. Right, yeah. 

Brandi Long: Yeah. 

Tim Chermak: You kinda want people that you're hiring to do important professional services, it kind of gives you peace of mind knowing that, “Hey, I'll try to fit you in next week or maybe, but it might be a while.” Like you don't wanna call a financial advisor or a lawyer or a real estate agent or a tax strategist, CPA, and immediately be like, “Sure, I can meet you this afternoon.” That's kind of like, “Oh, yikes! You probably don't have a lot going on.” 

So again, you were already killing it before Platform, but part of what made you decide to dive into this Platform strategy is that a lot of the traction, a lot of the momentum that you had online was on your personal profile on social media and, you can do a ton of business with your personal profile even without ads. You are a perfect example of that. 

You were already doing over a hundred transactions a year essentially just by being hyperactive with your personal Facebook profile. But there's a limitation to that, right? Because it's mostly your friends that are gonna see it. And of course, the algorithm shows content to other people that aren't your friends. But it's limited to people that are your friends or directly connect or you have a bunch of mutual friends. Running ads and taking some of these posts, and I know you've done a lot of listing videos, is what allows you to scale beyond your immediate sphere of influence and your friends and family in your community so that the general public is seeing your content.

Tim Chermak: I think that's what you were hinting at there that, “Hey, now I was always being recognized 'cause I was always the top agent here, but now when I go out, there's people who recognize me that I have absolutely no idea who they are. It's not a friend or even a friend of a friend. Some random stranger recognizes me,” because you're actually running paid ads using your profile.

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