On this episode of HyperFast Agent Podcast, host Dan Lesniak speaks with Ashley McDougal, a mortgage lender turned real estate agent. Hear how Ashley ended up on track to double her business this year in the midst of a pandemic, and the advice she would give to both new and experienced agents.
Episode Highlights:
- Ashley is a realtor in Hampton Roads, VA, and was previously in mortgage lending but switched after the 2008 crisis.
- As a lender, she started to get close with a lot of the realtors she worked with.
- Ashley had her first closing as a realtor about 5 months after she started.
- Some advice Ashley would give to a realtor about understanding lenders is that you should look at your lender as a partner, not merely as a source of income.
- Find a lender that has, for lack of a better term, good bedside manner.
- Ashley only works with local lenders.
- Ashley’s area has a heavy military population, so lenders she works with have to have a strong knowledge in VA loans.
- With the support of Hyperfast Coaching, Ashley is on track to nearly double her business this year even during COVID.
- Available inventory is low right now, along with low interest rates, so there’s a lot of pent-up demand.
- Ashley has been sending a lot of off-market letters and she’s getting much higher than normal response to them.
- As an agent, try to find the perfect home for the client no matter the inventory by using off-market outreach.
- It’s important to tell your client what strategies you’re using to do this, so they understand how hard you’re working for them and your word of mouth will be better.
- Ashley hired a marketing specialist and is growing a team of agents and administrators under her.
- During COVID, Ashley has prioritized a lot of marketing, press and PR for her business.
- Ashley’s family has “adopted” a nurse to support with gifts and emotional support during COVID, and it grew into a Facebook page called “Adopt a Hospital Hero.”
- The program also dropped off gifts on a weekly basis to several hospitals.
- Ashley’s biggest piece of advice to a new agent is to spend at least two hours of your day prospecting.
- Ashley’s advice to an experienced agent is to find a mentor that is two steps ahead.
- Her biggest challenge in her career is balancing being a mom and being an agent.
- When she’s not selling real estate, she’s watching her kids at a wrestling match or soccer game, or spending time with her 6 month old chocolate lab.
- In five years, Ashley would like to see her team hit 10 people, and she would like to have experienced a lot of personal growth.
3 Key Points:
- Build a relationship with the lenders you work with and view them as a partner.
- Especially in a time of low inventory, don’t forget about off-market prospecting.
- Remember that there is always room for more personal growth.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “The biggest thing that I see a lot of agents lacking in is they look at lenders as a source of income or a source of marketing money, when truly they should look at them as a partner.” –Ashley McDougal
- “Your buyer falls more in love with who you are as an agent because they really feel like you have their best interest.” –Ashley McDougal
- “Every day, you need to prospect. Whether that’s handwritten note cards, phone calls, there’s got to be at least two hours of your day prospecting.” –Ashley McDougal
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