I was looking to rent a house 3 years ago, and met with a lot of real estate agents, most of them were looking to milk me of the regular agency fees without actually helping me to rent any place.
Long story short it was a horrible experience, I spent a lot of money in agency fee and never really got what I want and got tired. Then someone close to me introduced a new real estate agent to me, he was about my age, or just a bit older, and we talked and he started taking me to a few houses.
He didn't even ask for the usual agency fee, although that might be because I already told him that I had spent a lot in agency fees, but he took me to places showed me great options and secured a decent house in 2 weeks for me.
We've kept in touch, we had real life conversations, and he was particularly there with some encouraging words when I lost my brother, and that's all from being a real estate agent.
Our deals shouldn't be more than business, but perhaps maybe it was because we were both in the same age range, or perhaps it was even something better: the man was good business man.
I've talked good of him with a few people who are looking to secure rent or ownership, I sing his praises whenever people talked of credible real estate agents, and I didn't even know I was consciously doing it.
I wasn't paid, neither was o coerced, I was simply bought over by good service he offered me, and of course the off-the-business relationship we shared afterwards.
I knew I'd do more business with him because he wasn't the greedy type, he wanted the best for his clients, he put satisfaction and service before gains and profit, which is actually how you effortlessly sell your brand through mouth to mouth advertising.
This is the type that people do for you based on the quality of the free services you've given them. It's not fake or unnatural, like the ones we see on TV.
Everyone knows that most ads on TV are not as real or potent as they're advertised, this is why simply learning from someone who has experienced a service is the best way to make a financial choice, especially if they're not paid to say it.
In 3 years this guy owns a lot of property himself, owns his own firm, his car and basically doing so well financially. So how does a guy who doesn't even charge outrageous agency fee make so much money in just 3 years?
It's easy: don't work like you want to make money
Making money is the goal of a business person, this is true, but you must improve on what you're offering, be one of the best in your game, do better than your competitors, offer something better and different and the money effortlessly comes.
He singlehandedly left the small gains and let the bigger gains accumulate.
People chase money and forget that the means to make money shouldn't be open-ended.
Choosing to know people opens doors. However the problem is that a lot of real estate agents in Nigeria choose the temporary gain, the destroy their first-client impressions simply because of the agency fee they'll gain, and forget that life is not linear.
A poor person can know a person who knows another person who is rich, if you treat a potential client without proper handling because you think they don't have enough money, then you're basically killing your "word of mouth" ad value.
Chase satisfaction, value and contentment and the system will do the rest for you.
