04/20/2023
It was PURE LUCK that Keller Williams City View market center happened to be the closest one to my house. As a new Realtor, I had no idea where to hang my license. I just knew I wanted to be backed by a recognizable brand name. Well, I landed with my bum in the butter, as my little Granny used to say! She was British - I have no idea why having one's bum in butter was better than being born with a silver spoon in one's mouth, but in her infinite wisdom a buttery bum was apparently preferable.
Each KW brokerage is an individual franchise. This particular franchise has added to the already famous, award winning KW training, creating a three month program - Ignition, Fuel Up and Speedway - that is intense, challenging, fun, and gives you the self confidence to hit the ground running!
Side note - it is inadvisable to run barefoot in Texas. Too many pitfalls, sharp stabby things and poisonous biting things. Put your dang shoes on y'all!!
Be prepared, because if you survive KWCV training, you are going to hit the ground at full speed! With a built in GPS in your brain! Which is a good thing because it is also inadvisable to run anywhere if you haven't a clue where you are going.
On joining KWCV, you get a whole month of "Ignition" classes, every single day, 9am - 4pm, with weekend assignments. My advice? Get all your laundry done before you start. From day one you are kicked out of your comfort zone, taught how to get out of your own head, and given the confidence to practice real estate! Everything in detail, from how to fill out a contract, to creating a database (with built in marketing campaigns) in a powerful CRM, to holding open houses, to speaking to clients, to listing properties on the MLS, to closing transactions. No need to fake it till you make it! Just do it. By the end of the month you have made lifelong friends with your classmates (future referral partners), have met an assortment of very interesting people, all generously sharing their insights on success, and you have formed a relationship of trust, laughter and a smidge of terror with an amazing instructor, Margie Meadows Beecher.
It doesn't end there! After Ignition, our first few transactions are closely monitored, in a good way - a hand holding kind of way - which I am SO THANKFUL for because you pretty much cannot screw it up. We continue to receive training and coaching. It never stops. Which is perfect because it should not ever stop. There is always something new to learn. What is the difference between training and coaching? Coaching stops the self sabotage and puts us in the right mindset for success. Training shows us how to be successful. We get BOTH.
What do we pay for this? No training/coaching costs leave your pocket up front.
WHAT??? That can't be right! This is worth thousands of dollars!! What's the catch?
To put this in perspective, before becoming a realtor, I paid out over $10,000 for a real estate investor mentorship that was mediocre, and another $4500 on two more mentorships that were just crap. I fell over myself to pay that money up front - literally could not get my credit card out fast enough, each time believing I had found the Holy Grail of real estate success. What I had found was excellent marketing that caught me hook, line and sinker.
Once hooked we were told that in order to be successful we needed to spend even more money on branding, business cards, CRM software, memberships with business advisors, setting up business entities (I have two! Haven't used either), creating websites. So many of us did all that, then froze. We felt like failures. Broke failures. The regret is real.
Contrast that guru bu****it with Keller Williams' "Red light, Green light" philosophy. You do NOT pay for any of their award winning training up front. NOT until you start making some money! I was gently chastised for buying "For Sale" signs before having any clients, because we can borrow signs from the office. Many of us were a bit nervous and confused when we started the program, waiting to get served a massive invoice.
KWCV has so much faith in their training, and culture, that they give it to you up front. Bouncing between brokerages is common in real estate. At KWCV you may leave at any time with no penalty. After the initial training you contribute a small percent of your first four transactions, over and above your commission split, to pay for it. That is IT!
KWCV seldom has people leave. The best agents stay. The top earning individual agent in all of San Antonio is here at Keller Williams City View. And he makes time in his busy schedule to talk to, help and encourage us newbies. Because this is the way. The KWCV way (yes, that was a Mandalorian reference).
People have said to me, "oh, be careful of Keller Williams - they are going to trick you into paying for all sorts of training you don't need." OK, clearly we DO need the training - judging by how many inadequate real estate agents there are, and also judging by the fact that 87% of agents will fail at their business and drop out within 5 years.
I have also been told, "don't drink the Keller Williams Kool-Aid" - this just made me laugh! Oh no! Best you quickly run away from a culture that promotes putting your family first before your business, then teaches you how to run that business so damn well, you can actually afford to put your family first! The horror of such an idea! Du*****es. I was one of those du*****es at first. Don't be a du***ss. Learn from my mistakes.
Our broker, Joseph Sloane, is supportive, smart and funny. It is great to know he is right here with us, just down the hall in his office and he has an open door policy. We have this beautiful building with gorgeous board rooms in which to meet our clients, and we can use it whenever we like, 24/7. The office staff are always smiling and friendly. SO MUCH good karma/positive juju/relentlessly happy, welcoming atmosphere - it is exhausting! Like seriously, I sometimes need to stub my toe just to bring myself back to reality. (OK OK I secretly love it, but don't tell anyone).
Keller Williams culture and philosophy is simply this: put your spirituality and your family first. Then your business. Then run your business with integrity, in an informed and intelligent way that allows you to be the best possible advocate for your clients. Sounds goofy right? Like, WAY too idealistic. Here's the kicker: it works! Keller Williams has the majority market share and is the biggest, most successful real estate company in the world. Keller Williams City View has the lowest number of people leaving to go to another brokerage. Bring on the Kool-Aid people - I like mine in a mojito!
