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EP 275: 3 Costly Mistakes Newer Investors Need to Understand w/ Brett Iwanowicz

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Brett Iwanowicz is closing just under two deals per month on average, but it wasn’t always this way. Brett struggled with anxiety, feelings of inadequacy, and low-self esteem. It took him a long time to decide what he wanted in life and find the momentum to get him there. Today, Brett is living life on his terms. By surrounding himself with the right people, building credibility through video, and figuring out exactly what he wants his life to look like, Brett is carving out the life of his dreams. Today, he is sharing his early mistakes so you can learn how to avoid them.

Carrot’s Real Estate Investor Website Demo

Build online authority and credibility To break out the cycle of hamster wheel marketing and chasing down leads, you need a solid online marketing strategy. But not everyone has the tools, time, and expertise to do what it takes to build online authority with content marketing and get their website on the first page of Google search results. Carrot makes it easy with an entire suite of tools aimed at doing just that — improving your SEO ranking with automated blogs, keyword tracking, and other time-saving online marketing tools and done-for-you services. Learn more about Evergreen Marketing with Carrot → Carrot isn’t just a website — it’s a Lead Generation Hub. How hard is your website working for you? It may be pretty, but is it helping you stand out in your market and build online authority to generate consistent — and qualified — leads? Other website providers: Looks pretty Creates an online presence Outranks your competition organic search results Tested and optimized to convert traffic into leads Supports content marketing to build online authority Provides training and support to help you dial in your online marketing strategy Supports investors who offer multiple services and need to attract different types of leads Backed by a team dedicated to your site’s performance VS. Carrot’s Lead Generation Hub: Built to rank in organic Google search results Optimized for all devices — desktop, mobile, and tablet Uses industry-leading best practices to convert more leads Loads fast so visitors can navigate the site quickly Builds online authority with easy, automated blogs Supports a hybrid business model for real estate investors who are also agents Provides training and support from our team of product and real estate experts Hear what other investors have to say. Check out our handy resources for Investors. SEO Keyword Bible Read the guide → Marketing Plan Generator Generate your marketing plan → Sales Negotiation Playbook Read the playbook →

20 Real Estate Negotiation Tips from 3 Negotiation Experts + Free Scripts

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The Pre-Negotiation: Base-Setting For The Verbal Negotiations The first thing we’d like to mention is the pre-negotiation before diving into the 20 real estate negotiation tips our three experts offered. Before you get on a call with a seller for the first time, they have some preconceived notions about who you are, what you do, and what your business is like. They’ve unknowingly gathered this information through your offline marketing materials (direct mail, bandit signs, etc.) and online marketing materials (your website and digital advertisements) and perhaps through referrals from a friend or family member. Maybe, they come in thinking that you’re desperate for deals. Maybe, they come in thinking that you’re trustworthy and level-headed. Maybe they come in having no idea about what you do but are curious about how you might be able to help them. Whatever they believe, for better or worse, it’s a direct result of the brand you’ve created. That’s why building a well-respected brand in your community is so important. It makes sellers more likely to trust your opinions, value your input, and answer your questions honestly, making your job as a salesperson much easier. But how do you set the stage for effective and profitable negotiations? Here are some quick tips… Add Credibility To Your Website — When someone visits your website, you want to build as much credibility as possible… as fast as possible. This means including testimonials from past happy sellers, emphasizing that you’re a local real estate investor, showing your online reviews, being honest about your process, and sharing your company’s vision and mission. Video testimonials are particularly effective. Here’s an example from a Carrot member (Carrot websites provide a lot of space for adding credibility and, for that reason, are the highest-converting websites in the industry!)… Set The Tone — With the colors, words, and font you choose for your offline and online marketing materials; you’re creating a tone of voice for your brand. Maybe it’s stoic and professional. Or maybe it’s casual and fun. Or maybe it’s kind and lighthearted. Or maybe it’s hasty and irreverent. Whatever the case, beware of the tone you create… because callers will expect that same tone when speaking with you on the phone. Be Honest — One of the best ways to differentiate yourself from the competition is to be upfront and honest. Being dishonest will almost always backfire. It’s better to tell people who you help and how you can help them so that the right people dial your number in the first place. 20 Real Estate Negotiation Tips from 3 Negotiation Experts 1. Don’t Ask For a Price Right Away This first tip comes from John Martinez, the founder of REI Sales Academy. To avoid spending too much time talking to tire-kickers, many real estate investors will ask the seller for their lowest price within the first five minutes of the call. John recommends not doing that. He suggests that investors focus on price only after you’ve sold the seller on yourself and your business (more on that in the next tip). Why? First, once you’ve spoken to the seller about your process and built some trust, the number they gave you will probably change… so why use it at all? Second, hearing a seller request a high price will usually make the salesperson (you or someone on your team) feel unmotivated to continue the call. They likely won’t operate at the same level of salesmanship. So while it might sound counterintuitive, it’s best to leave the price for last. 2. Sell Them Before You Make an Offer This tip … Continued

Core Web Vitals & Page Speed – What To Do (and Not Do) with Your Website

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Recap: The Page Experience Update is introducing Core Web Vitals to Google’s search ranking algorithm for the first time.  Core Web Vitals are a series of pagespeed scores relating to how quickly a page loads, how quickly that page is interactive, and how stable that page is visually. Google started introducing elements of this update to their algorithm in mid-June, with the goal for it to play a full role by the end of August 2021. Check out our SEO News page to learn more. Over the past several months, our Carrot Engineering Team has been identifying, optimizing, and improving features and elements that directly contribute to better user experience and site speed metrics.  As that work continues to make our sites faster and better than ever, we’ve compiled some of the most common questions, issues, and misconceptions we’ve seen as a resource for you to be ahead of the game on your end. DO Understand Testing Tools We get this question a lot: how do you test your site speed and Core Web Vitals and what tool should you use?  At Carrot, we recommend using Google’s PageSpeed Insights Tool because – regardless of which tool you choose – the most important consideration is that you be consistent.  To us, using Google’s own tool makes the most sense.  If you’re using the Chrome Browser, the Lighthouse Tool in the Developer Tools is another great option. That said, we always want to be sure that our members understand the differences and caveats between those snapshot scores provided by tools and the scores that are actually being used in Google’s algorithm. Google differentiates them into two categories: lab data and field data. Lab Data – Provided By Testing Tools Lab data is exactly what it sounds like – data collected in a lab, or in this case, a single snapshot report performed by Google’s PageSpeed Insights Tool or any other third-party testing tool.  It uses your own browser or another emulated device to load your website in a simulated environment and capture the key metrics that contribute to Core Web Vitals and Page Experience.  These scores are meant to be consistent baselines and are not necessarily reflective of actual user experience.  Just like in a real lab, you want to control for all variables when running experiments and tests on your website.  Google’s page speed tool (and most other tools) do this by loading your site on a simulated older generation smartphone with only a 3G connection to determine mobile “site speed” scores.  This is meant to represent the absolute baseline and used as a tool for debugging any performance issues with your site.  It’s useful for looking at where you can improve your scores, but it’s not useful for understanding real user experience.  Most users are on newer mobile devices with better connections and WiFi.  Their experience is better than in the simulated snapshot and contributes to field data – the real scores used by Google’s search ranking algorithm.  Field Data – Provided By Real User Experience Like we said above – field data is what Google is actually introducing to their search algorithm.  It represents the actual user experiences collected by the Chrome User Experience Report (or CrUX) when users visit your site.  Google then looks at the 75th percentile of those scores, and that’s your actual “score” used by their algorithm. Just like with Google’s more commonly-known ranking indicators, we lose visibility and transparency the closer we get to the algorithm.  So while snapshot lab data scores can be accessed whenever we feel like running a tool, user experience field data is more ambiguous and inaccessible. There are … Continued

EP 273: How to Create A Follow-Up Machine That Sells While You Sleep in 4 Steps with Mark Skowron

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What message are you sending to your prospective leads? How are you connecting, building trust, and following up? Mark Skowron is an investor and agent who uses carefully crafted copy to close an extra deal each and every month. Today we will talk about sequencing, frequency of contact, and what you can say to build instant trust and rapport. Most importantly, you will learn how to turn a small investment of your time upfront, into a potential $240k per year in extra profits.

It’s a Low Inventory Real Estate Market Right Now – Here’s Our Solution to Getting More Listings

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“This is much more than a web hosting company…it’s a complete marketing and training program. Carrot has helped our Real Estate Team develop a complete marketing strategy. For the first time…ever…we can see how all the pieces fit together in a cohesive marketing strategy. The results have been an increase in exposure, online leads, and the ability to measure ROI! The training, support, coaching, and customer service have been amazing.” – Tom Townsend “Carrot has impacted my business so positively! I love the property websites, landing pages, SEO rankings, blog, and overall design of the site. I also love the landing pages that I use to drive traffic from ads that I run. And my favorite is to watch the increase in Google rankings with the more relevant content we produce. Really great web host!” – Shemeika Fox That’s all for now! We’ll let you know when we’ve got more cool innovations to share that’ll help you grow your business in a scalable and realistic way.  To your success! Want to learn more about our new seller site? Check out here.

Real Estate Testimonial Tips & Examples for 2025

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“The only way to build authority is through content.” If you’re serious about generating leads, real estate testimonials can be a key content element because they are unbiased comments that prompt visitors to give you their contact information. × × See How Carrot Works How many deals are you losing to your competitor’s website? See How Carrot Works A QUICK STUDY ON THE POWER OF PERSONALIZATION Key takeaway: 123% increase in leads for sites with personalization. We compared a batch of our CSU member’s motivated seller sites over 6 months to see the difference in the lead count. Now, there are, of course, other factors that play into site conversion. It’s also a great reminder that great-looking sites still need the personalization element to round out. We compared member sites WITHOUT personalization on the homepage (no testimonials, photos of the member, etc.) and homepages CONTAINING testimonials (1-3) and a personal photo in the about section. The result?  PROOF: 123% increase in leads for sites with personalization! Our most engaged members create the most content and get the most leads. Using real estate testimonials on your site in text or video, you introduce content that will authoritatively promote your business. You should be using real estate testimonials to help establish credibility and authority. Quality testimonials increase conversions because they aren’t looked upon as sales pitches. If they come across in an unbiased voice, they will build trust. You’re using real people to show success in your service. In the end, your testimonials will convert more visitors into buyers and sellers if you use them correctly. According to a study… “Testimonials and case studies are considered the most effective content marketing tactics.” In short, in a crowded market like today, great testimonials for real estate agents and investors formatted correctly can boost your leads and deals. They help add credibility to an untrusting world. Additionally, as those values go vertical, many aspiring wholesalers start flipping houses, making for increasingly saturated online spaces. But before panic sets in, breathe. It’s not as bad as it sounds… well, but it’s also an opportunity. It’s a chance to flex your real estate muscles, to stand head and shoulders above that semi-debilitating clutter, to be the solution rather than contribute to the problem. What I will teach you will apply whether you’re an investor, buyer, seller, or agent. I will teach you how to build credibility by leveraging testimonials that shine. Let’s dive in! What is a Real Estate Testimonial? A real estate testimonial relays a story from a current to a potential client. The shorter, the better (unless you sacrifice quality). You don’t want an hour-long testimonial. When a client has a great experience, let them share it. Get real testimonials. Potential clients experience shopping anxiety — you know, that feeling before buying something that says, “It costs too much. It’s not good enough. How do you know it’s what you want?” — and testimonials are one way of shooting down this discouraging devil. The testimonial says, “Other people have worked with this company and had a good experience. I probably will, too.” Here are some examples from one of our member sites: Why are high-quality testimonials such a big deal? If used correctly, testimonials for real estate agents and investors are important for website visitors (and your conversion rate). They can… Consider that 88% of consumers claim that they read at least 10 reviews before deciding whether they can trust a company or not (and they have to trust you if they’re going to work with you) or that 88% of people trust online testimonials … Continued

30 Real Estate Agent Marketing Ideas to Win More Deals in 2025

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You’ll agree that sifting through endless real estate agent marketing ideas is challenging. It’s tough to determine which tactics will generate the highest volume of quality leads while keeping your sanity. When people think of buying or selling a home, you want them to think of your name. You want them to give you a call. And you want them to work with YOU. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Many other real estate agents in the area are fighting for the same attention. Fortunately, you don’t have to win all the attention to dominate your market – just most of it. And the best part is… You don’t even have to leave your computer to get started. 30 Real Estate Agent Marketing Ideas to Win More Deals I will show 30 real estate agent marketing ideas for dominating your online market in this article. 1. Market Yourself on Instagram Instagram is an incredible place to share your listings and get noticed! For real estate agents, Instagram provides a whole new world of opportunity. With over one billion monthly active users on the platform, there’s no better time than now for you to join in with all these people looking at beautiful pictures daily. Whether showcasing properties or providing helpful content like tips for staging homes, something here is suited ideally for you! Learn more: 2. Create a Professional Website Why does a real estate agent need a website? Most real estate agents become a part of the online “clutter” in their markets when they toss up a website that gets lost in the shuffle. Building a focused and optimized website will help you cut through that clutter with content marketing and adding your industry expertise. A website will attract more of your favorite clients by using it as an Evergreen Marketing tool. You can reduce or eliminate relying on cold calling, direct mail, Zillow, and the marketing that’s burning you out when done right. Having a website will also… Learn more: 3. Use Facebook Live Videos Facebook’s LIVE video feature is useful for more than recording your kid’s birthday party. You can also use it to do a LIVE walkthrough of house listings you’re trying to get attention for. After all, one of the most time-consuming parts of your day is house showings, so why not show a house to your entire Facebook audience with a single LIVE video? Plus, 70% of homeowners want to list with a real estate agent who does some video marketing to sell their home. This might be your dead-simple, don’t-have-to-hire-a-professional way of integrating video marketing into your service. Just create a healthy cadence and get in front of your social media audience more regularly. The more people see your face online and hear you talk about their problems and your solutions, the more familiar your market will be with you. Video is increasingly important in content marketing for social media. More people are choosing to consume information through video. Here are some ideas for Facebook live videos to work into your real estate marketing: Learn more: 4. Post on Social Media Why do real estate agents need social media? According to the National Association of Realtors, social media has become a significant way to acquire clients and close deals. Here’s a snapshot of their report: It’s powerful. Perhaps there’s no better way to generate consistent word of mouth around your brand name and service than by staying in front of your audience. Posting on social media consistently allows you to stay in front of your audience without leaving your desk chair’s comfort. Where to post: What you … Continued

EP 269: Negotiation Mastery #3: 9 Magic Negotiation Phrases Guaranteed to Turn Sellers into Your BFFs w/ Creative Finance Junky, Pace Morby

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I challenge you to find anyone who gives more in this industry than Pace Morby. His energy, enthusiasm, and eagerness to learn something from every transaction have helped propel his investing career in a highly competitive market. In part 3 of our series on negotiation, I sat down with Pace to talk about how he connects with clients to win more deals, even when he isn’t paying the highest price. You’ll learn what to say, what to ask, and how to show credibility even if you’ve never done a single deal.