I scored a pretty big milestone recently. You know how one of my approaches to my biz is to build peer-to-peer relationships by reaching out to stranger real estate agents and offering to host their listings open? Our office encourages new agents to do this, but they recommended asking only agents without our same brokerage. But I cast a wider net and ask everybody and anybody. For many months last year, I’d been on a roll, hosting an open house nearly every weekend I was in town. My colleagues and loan officers would ask how I was hosting so many, and I explained that at the start of every week, I reach out to 20-30 agents asking to host. If I don’t hear back by mid week, I text. If I still don’t hear back, I call. To me, this is just regular follow through. But everyone I told this to has been so surprised that I would go through so many steps.

Once I get the open house, I submit reports immediately after so the list agent knows how things went. And I drop a handwritten thank you card in the mail. Again, my people shake their heads, telling me I’m doing way too much. Well, that’s just how I work. And I am finally seeing it pay off. I mentioned earlier how having a great relationship with my coach led to me getting this gig with the Persian agent.

Then last Saturday, while I was attending a meetup event on the new tax laws (doing research for my upcoming seminar…), I got a call: a Chinese couple from the East Coast toured a property that I had hosted open last year, and they were very interested. Originally, they wanted to work with the list agent/builder directly, but he doesn’t do dual agency (where one agent reps both the seller and buyer sides), so he gave them my number. I mean, this is a HOT lead from an agent who only knew me, bc I reached out and hosted his property a few times.

The call actually came from the couple’s son, who wanted to make sure I could speak Chinese. I set up an appointment and met the couple the very next day. The entire night before the meeting, I couldn’t sleep. I was SOOO stressed, bc they are maybe ten years younger than my parents, so they understand English but really prefer to communicate in Chinese. I was worried about my level… should I ask my native-speaker friend to accompany me? What do I do?

Then I remembered a recent conversation I had with a Chinese agent in my office. He had asked if I worked with Chinese clients, and I said I had but that most seem to prefer working with a native Chinese speaker. He told me, not necessarily.  You shouldn’t feel intimidated about working with them. Then he mentioned another agent in the office who is Chinese-American like me. He said that guy works with tons of clients using his non-native Mandarin.

I’ve actually heard that guy’s Mandarin. It’s ok– the pronunciation is kinda wonky. He’s probably the same level if not worse. It was one of those, if he can do it, I can do it moments.

So the next morning, the couple shows up. I had been hoping their son would accompany so I could speak predominantly in English, but no such luck. Thankfully, the conversation went fine! I told them various scenarios and tactics for winning bids. And they very willingly signed the agency disclosure documents AND the buyer-broker agreement. At the end, the lady commented that my Chinese was pretty good. Hurray… so now I have legit, committed buyers!