You're listening to the REI marketing nerds podcast, the leading resource for real estate investors who want to dominate their market online. Dan Barrett is the founder of AdWords nerds, a high tech digital agency focusing exclusively on helping real estate investors like you get more leads and deals online, outsmart your competition and live a freer, more awesome life. And now, your host, Dan Barrett.
(0:40) Hey, guys, welcome back. You're listening to the second part of last week's episode. Let's jump back in. Here, you mentioned something that I think is really intriguing, which is you are trying to shorten the distance between somebody getting information and somebody taking action. Right. Yeah. And I think there are, you know, you said like other too many programs. You know, I was speaking earlier today with with someone who wrote a book, and I do want to talk about your books, actually. But it is someone who wrote a book and he said, You're the average person reads nine pages of a book a year, right? Like I was, like, just, they don't read the whole thing.
He's like, they're not watching me, Lord, give me the whole thing. So like, how do you get people to take action? Because I think one of the things I really like about you and I have kind of followed your career from afar is like, you really care about having an impact on people, right? It's not just about get as many people in as possible, sell the course and then see you later, pal. Right? So how do you get people to take action when that action might make them anxious or uncertain? Or they might view it as a risk? How do you think through that as a coach and a mentor as in as a leader?
(1:53) Yeah, good question. Most of it's not real estate related. Like, again, we just kicked off that that mastermind call and I asked people at the at the final thoughts, we call it like, what do you think, give me a word, give me a sentence before we go, right. And most of them said in some form. Geez, what I really liked most about this community in that group, in particular, the hiring group, is that it's not just about real estate, because if it was easy, as Dan has me going, Hey, take a course everybody takes the same course. Why did they not come out as fast? Because we all have baggage skill sets, lack of skill sets, challenges, problems, film, we all have all that you're not changing that. So we help them through some of that the very beginning we're talking about their why like, What's that guy doing this for?
How committed are you? Do you need this? Like you need water tomorrow? This isn't for you. Are you in this for a long term commitment? We asked for a three year commitment, not contractually not at all. We just say look, you're in this, you need to expect a three year run. Yep. And I had Brian Tracy on my podcast. And he said no, seven years. He was adamant about it. He said seven years I've been around for a while you need seven years before you're really good. So we can't we piece these things together. They're why their business plan, get to know him a little bit and then throw the community around them. So we're all on Slack. 150 of us, whatever. We're all on Slack. So it's not about me, it's about everyone helping everyone they know that everyone genuinely cares. That's cool to be around.
(3:10) It's different. Yeah, it's it strikes me right that you were you're talking about your business culture, like the culture of your team, right? We were talking about the SWOT analysis and doing the, you know, the the three meetings and even the daily meetings when you're going through COVID It's a real skill set is a very, very rare skill set to be able to build a community with a really strong culture. And it sounds like kind of that's what you did in your group which is really amazing because you get the leverage of everybody's expertise, right?
I wanted to ask you because now you're which number book is this for you? Is this your third book total? Or is this your second? We did our fourth about two months ago saw with a thority it was like a spin off of someone who did sell with authority. They wanted to chicken soup it you know, do have someone else do it. So they came to Washington said we want real estate. So we did sell with authority for real estate investors. That was a fourth best seller. All right.
(4:08) So I have to put this about this as a you know, a writer I will call myself a writer but like as a hobby, right? I don't I don't write for work necessarily. But I do write quite a bit. And for someone who for whom writing is quite the struggle of time. First of all, I want to know why books they're clearly a really core part of what you do. So why books in general into like, what is that process like for you now? Is it just easy and you kind of breeze it out? Is it Are you up at four in the morning, you know bleeding from your eyeballs over the typewriter like what is that process?
Yes, none of the above. So all the rest Sorry. It's probably so the front they different as we went and learned. Yeah, right as you can imagine. So the first one was literally me with a I call it a coach but it was the company producing the book. So come on and say talk to me in it'll go through the whole thing and then send it back to me what he gathered out of that because it was all audio, it just transcribe it. And then I would edit. And then I went back and forth for, I don't know, a year or whatever it was nine months. So that was good. That was really advantage books. And now Forbes, but we figured out okay, there's other ways to do this. So the second book, new rules of real estate was a combination of, we took the what we consider to be the top 24 interviews we did on our podcast, those gets transcribed, sent to a writer then sent to me, the team, my son, and son, I handed it to him. So we made it personal. And then that got published a totally different process, we all that we self published it, everything, the one we just came out with was neat, because we said, Alright, if being an authority in real estate, I don't care what niche you're in being an authority is the ticket.
And the reason we do the books, by the way, so I'll get to that. Because when you're the authority in the market gets wonky like it is. And these national companies are coming in, they hit the hit and miss they go, the local buyers and sellers want what the local authority, they want somebody who they know and trust, that can be the authority, the book does that for you. And so that next book, we came out with sell authority, we actually took about eight of our students, and did it, they did a chapter, of course, we had the writers edit it, but they did a chapter about their life, their story and how they built their authority position. So even though we self published that we actually included students, there was a little bit less work. But I'm told by a lot of people way more impactful, even though it's not teaching the basics, for more advanced as well, it was pretty impactful. So I hope that answered that now I can do more.
(6:33) No, I mean, that's that was an amazing answer. And I wanted to dig a little bit deeper on that idea of authority. He said, one of the main reasons you do the books is for authority. For a long time, I had been really promoting this idea that real estate investing as an industry has sort of shifted from an industry where all you have to do is tell people what you do, like, We Buy Houses for cash, right? That's all you have to say, you know, just shifted into a market where the question that you are answering with your marketing is much more about why should I sell to you versus any of the other investors who are also buying houses, right? And so becomes much more relational becomes much more about, like, I always say, like being a local celebrity, you're saying the local authority, so to dig a little bit deeper? Like why is authority important? And what are some ways that investors can think about building their own authority of return?
(7:28) Yeah, there's a that book does that, by the way, the fourth book, it literally says to the master is that you know, here's what we did, and his I can do it. Okay. But But I think, why does it do it? I mean, because the there's a perceived value there. It's your podcast, my podcast and book, those that perceived value recognition out there marketplace. And so at the same time, in my opinion, if you do went through the process I went through, while you're doing that you're sharpening your sword, you are you are literally building your authority while you're building your skill set, in my opinion, because you gotta go over and over and over and over that material, you have to make sure it's properly done, you have to make sure it's properly presented as if anyone could understand it, et cetera, et cetera, et I'll say magically, it does that even though you did a lot of work to get there. That makes sense.
(8:11) Yes, yeah. It's sort of like you are putting the time in almost upfront with that person in their head. Right. Does that make sense? Your your relationship with them? What's your experience been like with the podcasts? You had the podcast for quite a while now? I believe. Right. Yeah. How has that has that helped you? What's been your experience with it? I obviously, this is sort of a selfish question. But now, I'm investing a lot more time and effort into my podcast, I'm getting a lot out of it. I'm a big proponent of the medium to investors. But I find that most investors are kind of like, well, I don't know what I would say or whatever, right? They kind of gloss over it. So what's been your experience? I
(8:51) did too, by the way, I remember and then I'll answer that question. I remember I was on someone show, I don't know what year was called 16. And he said to me at the end of the show, hey, the abbey Park. I said, I don't know. I guess like I don't I have no clue what to do with the bargain. I don't know who would come I don't know what to say. He said call this guy. So I call this guy and he's been pretty smart podcast and coach me through it is the coaching day again, since 17. I think whenever we start we are almost at four episodes. Wow. How important has it been? Almost every this is actually scary to think about almost every major JV or strategic partnership relationship that we have. We met through them being on my show or me being on their show, like almost every which is crazy, because I mean, you and we might not work together. But you might run across someone you go, hey, it's really cool thing you might want to call these guys over at Wicked Smart and it just grows. Right crazy.
I like example, Dan, we have a relationship right now. We just signed a new strategic relationship. And it's with a gentleman who has a very large community bigger than ours, but similar culture, but they do fix and flip it when the market changed. They weren't all it's gonna it's gonna kill them. So tonight half years ago, he was on our show two and a half years ago, right. So Zach, my side kept in touch with him. He credited Zach for that. And he came, he came to us and said, Let's, let's talk. So they flew in and we now his community is able to access our community. So that what a cool thing that is now, so you just never know.
(10:15) Yeah, it's, it's, I always say, right. Like, I think people think of podcasts as Oh, the goal is to get a big podcast and then get like sponsors and have like ad revenue, like Tim Ferriss or Joe Rogan or something. And I always say like, no, like the, by far, at least for me, right? We're kind of like running a relatively small podcast, very focused audience, right. 100% of the benefit has come from the networking side effects of the podcast agree, it is just like, Oh, I get to meet everybody, I get to know you. Or I was looking over my notes this morning. Because usually I have like detailed notes on everybody who's ever been on the show, I opened up the page for your notes. I'm going to do this right now. This is literally what it says you're ready. This is what it says on your page, it says is a May 20 2020 podcast interview with Chris Fontaine, super nice guy, great interview.
That's what, that's all I wrote at the time. But it's like, but just the ability to to be able to reach out to someone and say, like, Hey, I'd love to just learn more about you and do this in a way that benefits you. It's such an easy way to grow relationships, and it is network. I think it's awesome. And now you're telling me about creative financing. And like, I'm gonna go download all your stuff after the show, right? Like it's gonna benefit me directly. I just think it's it's such an underutilized,
(11:33) this something else built in inherently that you just brought to my brain. And that is, again, on that mass mycologist on my wife gave me an idea to give them and I said to them last week I did I caught a ran I do a video for them every week. And I said to them, Why don't you instead of worrying about getting the house under contract? Why don't you this week, and forever focus on what the heck the cell is telling you the problem isn't really cared about, as I told ya. And my wife said, Well, why don't they go even further? Why don't they do what I hear you do, which I didn't know I consciously did. And that is when people say you they have this problem with that child, find a resource to help, like, be a connector and help them and so I shared that with them saying it was another light bulb in my wife, Kim. So you do it all the time. But I didn't realize it. So I said to my q&a, if you don't know the answer, then go find it.
So what you and I get to do on the podcast is indirectly by having an organic conversations help. The list says because we are additional resources, and we're having a live chat. I think it does that. And then when you do that, it comes back energetically. I think that that might be a little far off for people. But no, I mean, I think that's absolutely the case. Right? Because even if you just think about it, it's like we're saying like, you know, it's like the sales truism, right? Where like people do business with people that they know like and trust.
Yeah, well, nothing lets people know you better than having them listen to a podcast with you for like a year. Because they get to know how you think they get to know how you act. You know, they see you. They don't have to believe you know, whatever sales pitch you're putting out, they can see your actions and judge whether they line up with the React, you know what you say you're going to do, right? I think diagrid extremely powerful.
(13:10) Let's find motivated seller leads online but don't know where to start. Download our FREE motivated seller keyword report today, AdWords nerds have spent over $5 million this year researching the most profitable keywords for finding motivated seller leads. And you can grab these exact keywords when you download our report at www dot AdWords nerds.com/keywords. All right, I want to I want to just touch base real quick, because we're we're coming up on time. I don't want to keep you super late. But I do want to talk a little bit about what you are doing in your business moving forward. We've talked a bunch about creative financing.
And again, folks, if you are curious about this, it's smart real estate coach.com. You can go there, there's a whole bunch of stuff. But also you can go get these free books at Wicked Smart books.com/and. Dan, so there's a ton of knowledge there. We've been talking about creative financing, but I'm curious, like, what is your strategic plan? For the next year or two years, you're gonna get super specific, but what is on your docket for things that you want to do inside your business? Sure,
(14:21) I'll share some things that are happening this Monday that that will be announced. This will go after this so good. So coincidentally, with elite, we set a mission in December of 17. So essentially 18 on and it was a five year mission. So we are at the end of the mission right now. Yeah, so we've been working with Dan, who we met to really speak into connections, and he comes in he facilitates all the off site. So this off site in December for 23 will be a three year new mission. And for me, it's exciting because unlike five years ago, where I literally was sitting in a room and I brought it back to my daughter, son and son in law that was our team and a bookkeeper. Now we have a core management team that It is has risen to the point where they're running things. And my son in law, Zach, and partner is taking over my CEO position. So I will gladly tell you, they're running with the mission starting in January like they own it.
And but it will have to do with the same culture now, which is transactions, our whole mission for five years is how we can we get to 500 transactions with students. It's not about can we sell x units. So it'll focus around that some more and their experience, because when you provide a good experience, nobody leaves that experience. Nobody leaves a relationship, they'll leave a business, they won't leave a relationship if it's done. Right. And so our mission will focus around gluing that together and have making them successful. And why would they want to leave that? Think about it? Cool relationship, cool community, you're doing deals? Okay. Why we? Well, that's what the mission will be around. Wow,
(15:49) I love that story. First of all, because I, you know, I also just like this program, elite entrepreneurs that we both kind of have experience with, like, we also have a five year goal, right? Well, we just set ours this year. So it feels very far away. It does like to see you at the end of yours is like really exciting. And a lot of ways. I'm curious. How does that feel? So you are stepping out of the CEO role right here. And I know you have this like incredible team, like you mentioned this before in the previous podcast, you're working with your family and everything. But how does it feel for you? Is it purely exciting? Do you feel some kind of wistfulness for it? Like, how do you how does that feel emotion?
(16:30) Well, we've been planning it for like a year and a half. So I can tell you it. It was super hard a year ago, they wanted to do it a year ago and I I just been like go I'm used to doing everything. So I was a micromanager. Yeah, as soon as I started letting go and like, again, we're back to coaches. My coaches hammered me on this for three years prior to us talking about and that was you gotta you gotta let him do that. Yeah, let him do what they're good at. That's what you hired him for. And so they started letting go more and more. They grew like crazy. Yeah. Because that's our culture. So I know, I'm ecstatic for them. And for my wife, and I'd have some some other paths.
(17:01) I mean, that is very inspirational to me. Because I feel like you're at the end of a journey that I'm just starting. Right, which is awesome. So but what's next for you? Are you just kind of taken a break? I know, you're you have got the coaching and everything like what's your next like for you? Personally? Yeah, you don't have to give me like a specific goal with KPIs and all that stuff. But But But what do you view as your next chapter? Yeah, real simple, because I obviously gave it some time. So a company wise, two things. I started years ago, doing deals, that's why like, Don't My son loves growing, I like doing deals. So I'm working now with just the two highest levels in the company, me personally, with the students. The two highest level one level is four people in it.
The other one has about 25. That's what that's who I'm working with, because they're super, super high level high driven and committed. So that's one, two is outgoing interviews like this in my own show. So now it's podcast related to our earlier chat. I love doing that number one, and number two, I know that it provides a lot of value for the company. You just heard me doing it and then making that connect. And it keeps me on the cusp.
And I love these conversations. So those are the only two things. Obviously, I've got all the stuff I gotta think about recovery financially, but those are the two things that I personally will be doing. And then on a personal note, we've got a 30 year goal. We had a 30 year goal of building a home in Vermont. It's happening as we speak. So creating experiences there for the grandkids. We have two in the family up in Vermont.
(18:31) Wow. That's amazing. So you literally was a 30 year goal to build this house and now it's happening. We've talked about it through all the ups downs, trials, tribulations, and yeah, we're halfway through. All right. Well, look, you're living my dream life. I let it oh, I have a 30 year goal for the you know, we need to chat more again too early to talk. Yeah. Oh my god. That is so amazing. I would love to just keep talking about I don't want to keep you too long. I don't want this show to go too long. For people that are listening. I'm telling you go check out it's wicked smart books.com/dan You can go and get Chris's free book offers got a bunch of stuff there.
Like you said, Chris, there's like not even any shipping and handling right now. It's not one of those free but oh yeah, put a card in No, no. Okay. So go check it out. Wicked Smart, books.com slashed. And of course, you can go to smart real estate coach.com as well to check out everything that Chris's has thrown out, which is a lot. Where else do you want people to find you, Chris, you have social media, anything like that? Yeah, we're on Instagram and YouTube.
We post those videos if they want to listen to me for an hour and they can deal with that we do our free class you mentioned earlier I think it's smart real estate coach.com forward slash masters with an S masters class. Alright, awesome. So we will have links to all of that stuff on the show notes for this week's episode at AdWords nerds.com/podcast Chris Prefontaine from smart real estate coach.com And thank you so much for being here. Again. This was really really fun. I really Shit.
(20:00) I love the conversation. I appreciate you having me back. Appreciate again. That is it. That's it for our interview this week. Just a reminder, it is wicked smart books.com/dan I don't get anything if you go there. I don't know I'm not getting paid money or whatever. This is a free download wicked smart books.com/dan to download all of Chris's stuff. He's such a great dude. I really enjoyed my talk with him and I hope you did as well. Look if you wanted to get some of the show notes from this week's episode. Obviously, you can do that over at AdWords nerds.com/podcast where I've got notes for this episode, and all of our past episodes. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate having you here. Thank you for listening and I'll be with you next week. Cheers.
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