Category: Carrot News

Since starting Carrot, I’ve discovered that the biggest struggle for agents & investors is marketing.

For anyone new to business, or even those that have been in it for years, focusing on just one thing can be a struggle. With so many options like Facebook Ads, PPC, SEO, networking, open houses, it can be tough to know what strategies to use and when. 

Our goal at Carrot is to provide people the information and tools they need to succeed. We are constantly hearing from Carrot users that doing the marketing is too much work, that it is too expensive, or that it simply isn’t working.

The good news is that you don’t have to do it all. When you focus on what works, creating a solid foundation, your marketing will begin to work for you, allowing you to get off the hamster wheel of endless marketing tactics.

Listen in as we dive in further to help you create a marketing plan that will work for your business!

Read the Full Show Notes Below…

Your Real Estate Marketing Blueprint | How To Create A Business That Actually Sets You Free

Whether you are an agent or investor, using the right real estate marketing strategies is critical to your success. You need to get leads in the door, but with so many options, how do you know where to go all-in? We hear from clients all of the time that doing the marketing work is too much work or that it is too expensive.

When you are doing the wrong things, it can be. But when you are able to implement smart strategies and create a unique selling proposition, your business will begin to market itself. And always remember, as mentioned in one of our Truck Talks, people don’t buy your business but they are buying a better version of themselves. 

Getting Off The Hamster Wheel

I use the example of hamster wheel marketing vs. building a wall quite often. Hamster wheel marketing I consider to be things like cold calling, throwing up random social media posts, and anything else that if you stopped doing, the leads would eventually disappear.

While this strategy is great when you are just starting out or when you just need to get some leads in the door, building a wall will help ensure that if you were to take a break, the leads would keep rolling in as normal. When you build a strong foundation for your business, you will be able to get off the wheel for good! 

Setting A Strong Foundation

When looking at our marketing strategy, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed if you are trying to handle all of it. The trick is to focus on your unique gift, getting that message across to your potential clients.

This will help you to build authority, and if you’ve been listening for a while, you know how important creating authority is to the success of your business. Try to do this by offering your own USP, telling your own story, and doing things a bit different from your competition.

If you are an agent, don’t just tell them you’re an agent and here are some houses. If you are an investor, you need to say more than you will buy houses fast. In one of our Truck Talks, I lay out exactly how you can create a USP that will stand out from the competition! 

Our Marketing Plan Generator

We’re thrilled to be very close to launching our new Marketing Plan Generator which will lay out exactly what you need to do when marketing your business.

Whether you are an agent, an investor, a seasoned professional, or just starting out, we are certain that our marketing plan generator will help you take the next step in building your marketing wall. To get your custom plan, all you’ll have to do is answer a few short questions about your business. Then we will provide you with a FREE customized plan of action! 

Marketing Plan Generator… Coming Soon!

Creating Your Vision

Before you do any marketing for your business, it’s important to make your vision clear. What do you want your income to look like? Do you want to travel? How do you want to spend your day?

If you don’t have a vision, it is easy to help you get caught up in those hamster wheel tactics. Bouncing from one strategy to the next, looking for that easy button.

Unfortunately, there is no easy button. Setting that initial foundation may seem difficult at first, but once you look back at all the work you have done and the success it will bring, you’ll see that all that hard work is worth it! 

Listen to the full episode for specific examples as well as some great tips from our team member Brady on how you can really help your business stand apart! 

Mentioned In This Episode:

The Trevor Truck Talk Series

Connect with Trevor on Instagram!

Our 30 Day Authority Building Challenge

Anchor, our recommended tool for launching a podcast of your own… Anchor

We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram

“The better you are at marketing, the easier the sale is on the backend…It’s less about the money than most people think.”

– John Martinez

With more competition in a crowded market, your ability to execute a sale has never been more important. That’s why we’ve brought back the most-listened-to CarrotCast guest of all time, the master of sales psychology, John Martinez.

John has spent years perfecting his sales process, coaching and consulting real estate investors, helping them ensure that they’re closing every closable deal at the highest margins possible.

Listen in and let him walk you through his best scripts, word-for-word!

Follow Our Guest:

Connect with John and REI Sales Academy at https://midwestrev.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

Listen to EP 150: Don’t Blow It! The Psychology of Negotiation: How To Talk With A House Seller to Close More Deals + Help More People w/ John Martinez.

We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram

When others were out drinking on a Friday night, I was putting up signs or creating Craigslist ads.

– Keith Sant

We love Keith not just because he’s an awesome guy, but because he doesn’t have anything to hide. His story proves that if you want something bad enough and you’re willing to put in the work, anything can happen.

Since closing his first wholesale deal two years ago, he’s tried everything under the sun to build a valuable investing business.

Today he shares his entire strategy & marketing mix, everything he’s doing to crush it in such a saturated market.

After this, there are no excuses. Let’s get it!

Read the Full Show Notes Below…

Journey From Day Job to $100k/year | Every Single Step To Closing 8 Deals in One Month w/ Keith Sant of Kind House Buyers

For Keith Sant, Kind House Buyers is more than just the name of his business, it is how he conducts business and his life. I first got to know Keith just a few weeks ago at our most recent CarrotCamp, and right away I was struck by his hunger, drive, and gratitude.

These are the things that have led him to create a very successful wholesaling business in the Pacific Northwest. 

Keith believes in treating everyone the same. He talks to his sellers the same way he talks to investors. He grew up not having much, so his sincere gratitude for all he’s achieved shines through when you talk to him about his business. 

A while back, Keith heard a podcast I did about CarrotCamp, the benefits, the highlights, and what people could expect to take away from the event. He knew it was something he needed to attend, but he wasn’t making the 100k per year that he needed to qualify… yet. 

Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.

Jim Rohn

Instead of feeling defeated, Keith got down to it and closed the deals he needed to. He was able to close eight deals in one month, in a very competitive market nonetheless. Needless to say, Keith made it to the next CarrotCamp, and we were thrilled to have him join us. 

In The Beginning

In order to get where he needed to be, Keith knew he had to buckle down and do the work. Before real estate, Keith was working in screenprinting. He never referred to himself as an entrepreneur, but he has always known he wouldn’t be able to work with someone who didn’t value him or his contribution. 

Eventually, Keith went back to school. There isn’t a degree for entrepreneurs, so he studied marketing instead. Why? Because he didn’t think he was that great at it, so he figured he should learn. 

Real estate was always an interest, but the entry barrier seemed too high. He had a friend in Texas doing flips and wholesaling houses. Keith worked with him for a while, then brought his business to the Pacific Northwest. He worked hard, got his first wholesale deal, and it was on from there. This year he’s looking at doing about 25 deals, with an average profit of $15,800. 

Initial Marketing

Bandit Signs

Keith started with bandit signs and a lot of them. To be effective, the signs needed a few key elements. 

• Keith got an easy to remember, repeating digit phone number
• The phone number was HUGE so people could see it
• He included his website as it was something people could remember and look-up when they got home
• He was strategic in where he put the signs. He didn’t put them in downtown Seattle. He put them on the outskirts of town He put a sign in the middle of nowhere that turned into a 30k deal. 
• On average, Keith drops 120 signs per month. His rule is to put out 2 signs whenever he goes out. 

Having a website up before making his big marketing push was important. People told him he didn’t need a site or that a basic one-page site would do. However, Keith knew that a great site would showcase his message, mission, and sincere intent to help others. His site looks great on mobile devices, catching the attention of all those people who may be interested in his offer as they drive by. 

The Craigslist Strategy

Craigslist is still one of the best ways to generate cheap leads. Keith’s strategy included a few key steps. 

• He had two different versions of his ad. One introduced his company and services, the other was a bit more personal. 
• He posted in the services section under real estate services, moving services, and other places where his competition wasn’t. 
• He posted one ad every Friday, with each ad being up for 4 weeks. At any time, Keith would have 4 ads up in one place or another. 
• Keith set up a separate phone number for Craigslist, helping him to know where the leads were coming from. 

Investor Carrot offers a great resource to help you kick off your Craigslist campaign to generate quality, low-cost leads. 

All of Keith’s hustle worked. His first check was for $8,900. 

Keith’s Marketing Mix Today

Keith’s marketing strategy today still incorporates Craigslist and bandit signs, but he’s added a few other elements to his marketing strategy. Today, Keith’s leads come from a variety of places. 

• Bandit Signs
• Craigslist
• Carrot
• Ringless Voicemail
• Social Media
• Facebook Marketplace
• Organic Traffic 
• Paid Ads – PPC

PPC has been instrumental for Keith. He’s been able to close 1 in 10 leads this way. Recently, PPC costs have driven people away from this method of marketing. This has opened the doors for people who want to use PPC to drive more high-quality leads to their websites. 

The Importance of Mindset

Throughout Keith’s journey in real estate, he’s learned that he needs to keep the right mindset. By consistently doing all of the small things each day, Keith was able to build a business that he is proud of. He went to school, he learned the business, and he got to work. He didn’t give up and that is what has led him to the life he’s leading today. 

The way he operates his business is simple. He wants to work with people he likes, doing deals that really help everyone. He knows people may take advantage of his kindness, but the way he looks at it is that it’s an inexpensive way to weed out the bad people from his life. 

I recently challenged our listeners to do some push-ups each day, doing one more than they had the day before. I’ve watched Keith crush this challenge, putting up his videos and numbers each day. It is this mindset that is helping him to grow his business into something bigger. 

Consistency is inspiring. While the flash in the pan is eye-catching, the person who is doing the work day in and day out will ultimately be the bigger inspiration to those around them. They may not have been inspiring others on day one, but when they are doing 150 push-ups in a row, people are going to notice. 

Follow Our Guest:

Check out Keith’s website Kind House Buyers

You can find Keith on LinkedIn

Kind House Buyers on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

CarrotCast Episode 102 – CarrotCamp Spring 2018 Real Estate Investing Mastermind for Market Domination

CarrotCamp – The 2-day event to change your mindset, business, and life. 

Carrot’s Craigslist Resource

We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram

Am I listening to just throw my stuff on them? Or am I listening to hear where they are? It’s about first trying to honor where someone’s at.

– Joaquin Ortiz

How mindful are we when it comes to the things you are saying? Not just to the people in front of you, but online as well?

We have a very meaningful departure from our usual topics today, and instead, we wanted to focus on a topic that’s becoming more and more prevalent…cyber-bullying.

Carrot’s own Joaquin Ortiz shares his story of a close family member and legendary marathon runner, Dr. Frank Meza, who was recently impacted by cyber-bullying.

Listen in to learn how we can all play our own parts in being more mindful.

Read the Full Show Notes Below…

Mindfulness, Cyber-Bullying, and The Legend of Frank Meza w/ Joaquin Ortiz

At our most recent CarrotCamp, my dear friend and teammate here at Carrot, Joaquin Ortiz shared with me how he and his family have been impacted personally by cyber-bullying. Joaquin is a prime example of one of our core values: Be a Beacon of Positivity and Possibility. He reminds all of us here at Carrot to go within and to shed the light on the positives which are all around us. I was thrilled to be able to sit down with him here on the CarrotCast and I can’t wait to have him on again! Later in the podcast, I will share a BIG call to action that will have a profound effect on you and those around you! 

Creating Your Legacy

Joaquin often finds ways to bring the team back to center. Whether he is leading exercises in the morning or sharing with us an inspiring new playlist, helping us to connect is something he is truly amazing at. Joaquin loves to run, just like his uncle Dr. Frank Meza who was a huge inspiration to him. He taught him to aspire to be a greater version of himself. 

A few months ago Joaquin’s family was struck by tragedy. 

Dr. Frank Meza was an incredible man. His list of accomplishments included becoming a successful doctor, runner, and mentor. He lost his father at a young age and came to America as an immigrant. The cards were stacked against him until he met a group of Latino doctors that made him realize he could be successful too. 

Once he found success of his own, he became a mentor to many others who were following in his footsteps. Running was his medicine and meditation. He became quite good at it, but he wasn’t after notoriety, he simply loved running. He began to mentor people in running, getting people more involved in their own health and volunteering his time coaching at Loyola High School. 

Over the past few years, Frank was winning medals and breaking records, but that’s not what it was about for him. As he continued to astonish people with his running ability, the accusations began to start. There were running forums investigating his performance, comments and negativity being spread faster than wildfire. At one point, he had news crews crowding his front lawn looking for a story or even a glimpse of him through a window. While Dr. Meza tried his best to shrug it off, he began to worry about the safety of his family. 

The kicker was when the LA Times ran a front-page headline calling him a cheater. LA was his hometown and a community he had given so much back to. Instead of being recognized for his accomplishments, his character, and all he had given back, his name was being dragged through the mud. 

On July 4th, he started the day like any other. He told his wife he wanted to go for a run as always she encouraged him to do what made him happy. Sadly, Dr. Meza didn’t return home from the run. He instead, drove to his old neighborhood, found a bridge, and made his peace. 

Loss Of Humanity

Here’s the deal. I don’t care about the facts, that is not what is important here. What is important is that there was a highly accomplished human being on the other end of these comments, negativity, and eventual hostility. There are no laws to protect people on the internet the way there are in the real world. If a mob of people shows up on your lawn, you can do something. Not so much when the mob is online. 

Let’s go back in time 70 years. The things people say online never would have been said between people communicating face to face. Today, the internet is giving people gumption to say things online that would never be said in real life. 

Doing Better

Joaquin asks us all to be more mindful of the things we are saying to the people we are with and the people we speak to online. How much are you listening to others without any judgments or assumptions? We can all be guilty of flipping to the negative when we feel attacked or less than. But when you attack others to make yourself feel better, you have no idea what is on the other end or what that person may be going through. 

Not only can we be mindful of what we are saying, but we can help to encourage those around us to be more mindful too. We can raise our kids to build people up. Ask them if they would be comfortable having the things they post become headline news? Are the hurtful comments something they really want to be known for? Our words don’t go away in the digital world. Watch your kids and make sure they are incouraging others instead of tearing them down.

Getting Help

If you feel as if you are being bullied, whether online or in real life, it’s important to take action. Many times people don’t feel comfortable opening up about their emotions or how something is making them feel. Don’t hold this stuff in. Find a friend, family member or counselor who can help you get through it. 

If you are seeing the bullying taking place around you, do something about it. Flag inappropriate comments, report posts that spread hate and negativity. Keep in mind there are real people who are on the other end of these negative comments.

The biggest takeaway I have for you in this episode is to look around you and ask yourself “How do you inspire others to uplift instead of tear down?”

My Challenge For You

We all have someone we are truly grateful for, but we haven’t stopped to say those words to them. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Say those things today. I want you to report back to us, telling us about who you talked to and what came of it. Send your stories to support@carrot.com and Joaquin will see those emails.

I truly appreciate Joaquin sitting down with us and talking about something so difficult and personal. I want to tell our customers to look out for Joaquin as he is likely someone you will be talking to via email or on your next strategy call!

Mentioned in this episode:

Altamed providing healthcare to disenfranchised individuals in LA County

Taking Off The Armor – Joaquin’s quest to go inward to transform and make your story what you want it to be. 
CarrotCamp – The ultimate mastermind for real estate investors and agents

We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram