The Best of the Best
Each week we will seek out the best of the best in every imaginable business and explore the secret to their success. Prepare to gain insights and perspectives that will help you propel your business and personal growth forward. Hear how these leaders started, the stumbling blocks they overcame, and what’s next in their journey.
The Best of the Best
Fostering Genuine Relationships Beyond the Sale with Kim Chadwick
As I sat down with Kim Chadwick, a realtor whose expertise eclipses the typical sell-and-buy routine, I was struck by her unwavering dedication to the human element of our industry. Her stories of standing beside clients through life's seismic shifts—be it the joy of newlyweds or the trials of downsizing after a loss—highlight what makes her a beacon in the real estate world. Today, we explore that intersection of heartfelt empathy and savvy business strategy, where Kim's masterclass in relationship-building transcends the transactional and touches lives deeply.
Kim's wisdom flows through our conversation like a guiding light for those navigating the tumultuous seas of real estate. She illustrates how a positive outlook can be the compass that steers us toward success, even when the market seems unforgiving. Amid sharing personal anecdotes that etch the image of clients-turned-family, we dissect the strategies that can transform a challenging market into a vibrant landscape of opportunity and connection. So, join us for an episode that's a testament to the enduring power of authentic relationships and the resilience that can flourish from a foundation built on genuine care and a positive mindset.
Okay, here we are again, another episode on the best of the best.
Speaker 1:Therese? Who do you have with you today? Well, rizzo, I'm really excited. Today I have one of my very good friends, kim Chadwick, here. She happens to be a rock star realtor. I get to work with her every single day and that's so fun. We don't see as much as we used to. We'd like to see each other more, but it's so busy with this marketplace right now, and that's what I want to talk about is how she is with her customers, because she does a couple of things that I think agents could learn from and consumers need to hear about.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you for having me. This is a little nerve wracking, is it? Yeah, it is a little nerve wracking.
Speaker 1:Well, don't be nervous. No, it's a lot of fun. I'm just going to ask you a couple questions and talk a little bit about what it is that sets you apart from other real estate professionals, and I think there's one word that sums up what it is that you do really great, and it's called relationships. So tell me a little bit about how you do that with people.
Speaker 2:So I think that this business is a business of change. Like we're in the business of change, we're helping people through changes of divorce, of loss, of job relocation, like everything. People call us because they're ready to make a change and we have to be able to really help them navigate through this. And it's funny because, you know, any realtor is not just a business person or a marketer. You're a relationship guidance counselor, you may be helping with child rearing. I mean there's so many parts of the role that you play in this business because it's you know they're moving for a reason.
Speaker 2:But then getting to the part where the house is ready and everyone has the right mindset to move, and that can take a really long time. I mean it's rare, it happens sometimes, but it's rare that someone calls me and says I want to put my house on the market tomorrow. Most of the time it's you know we're preparing and we have time and we, you know, really get to know each other. Those are actually the transactions I prefer, because I have the time to spend with people and, yeah, so when you say relationships.
Speaker 1:It's, it's about relationships yeah, cuz I I've even talked to you before she puts a lot of time and energy and effort in that pre building of that relationship and then helping the seller through all of those things that they're nervous about. Right, there's a lot of emotions involved already in selling, whether someone's ready to move or not ready to move. They don't realize what they're taking on until they take it on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's pretty funny, I have to say. My favorite client is probably like the senior, someone who's looking to downsize or they may be moving into a home of some sort, and I worked with this one couple this past summer and they still call me to help them through fights. They're like you're the buffer, like you need to help us resolve this argument, kim, we're calling you, you're the buffer and it's just. You know, it's developing relationships and helping people. You know, sometimes people call and they don't know where they're going next and that's helping them navigate through decision making.
Speaker 2:And I could be a complete stranger to that person, but it's sometimes. They just need that sounding board. So I think being authentic is really important, but being able to have empathy towards the situation and you know it can never be about money, like you can never think about money, because transactions change, fall apart. You know people's lives change and I say that in the very beginning If you change your mind, your job doesn't happen, whatever it is like, that's fine, there's no money owed, I don't care what expenses I've put out. It's your life, this is your commitment, this is your journey, not mine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's well. That shows. Look at your customer reviews. They're so good and they always say something different too, which is really nice. I'm always finding out something new and awesome that you're doing, which I love, so I think one thing you said that was really good is about mindset. I think we go into listing appointments or buyer appointments and we don't take into consideration everything that's going on in their head, and it's a lot. So what do you think about a really good consultation?
Speaker 2:Well, I like to just take the pressure off. So, going with buyers, I just say to them look, you have a long process here. I mean it's in this market that we're in. You're not probably buying the first house that you see. You're probably not getting under contract with the first offer we put in. Like you have to be seasoned right. We have to go through a number of challenges in order to get to the place where you're ready to say, okay, I've learned, and unfortunately I may have to make some sacrifices and I tell them this could take a year, this could take six months, this could take two years. I mean, you have to. I feel like, just take the pressure off of them and also them to feel like they're not wasting my time, because that people say that to me all the time. I didn't want to bother you Like, oh my gosh how can I help you Right?
Speaker 2:How can I help you if I'm not present or in person with you? I'll go to open houses with clients. I'll you know I attend inspections. I want to be their resource.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I think that goes back to setting the expectations right away so that they understand that they can reach out to you. You're there to consult with, to help them through this process. But I also think what you said that's really great is talking to the buyer right now, because things are so different than they used to be. You don't just go out and find a house in a weekend. You know it's going to take time, you may lose a few, which buyers aren't used to that happening. I mean, right now they are. But they weren't before.
Speaker 1:That's a whole new level of mental issues. That you're dealing with when you're dealing with consumers is knowing how to handle their rejection, because their buyers are getting rejected. Their offers are getting rejected over and over, even if the buyer thinks it's a good offer. So how?
Speaker 2:do you handle that? When you get someone who's like, oh, I think I want to hang it up for a little bit? Yeah, I mean, I think I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason and I haven't had that shown me otherwise Like I have always been able to find a resolution with okay, we didn't get this one. Well, you know what, we loved it, but there still were some things that didn't check every box. And then when they do finally get under contract, or when they do pause or whatever, you can turn around and look and see that now everything's clear.
Speaker 2:This wasn't the journey I was supposed to be on, this wasn't the path I was supposed to be on. So that's how I help them through. It is. This wasn't the one, it just wasn't meant to be. We'll find the right one when you know it, and I have had this happen so many times and it's so rewarding when you know it. You know it when you walk into that house with a buyer and you're like, oh my gosh, this is exactly so. What are we doing? How are we making this happen like we have to get this one, and how do we do that?
Speaker 1:yeah, and there's a lot of creativity that can go into how you structure your offer. So I think that's one of the things that you know an experienced agent can bring to the table is your offer doesn't have to be just price and settlement date and inspections. There's a lot of different things that you can add. Language you can add to help the seller.
Speaker 2:Maybe you see your offer is the better one Right and communication and being good at what you do. So take aside the buyer relationship having all the forms filled out correctly, having everything completely submitted with a you know analysis of what you've just sent that goes a long way, even before this market became so crazy. Agents you know when you do a good job and you take your job seriously. Agents on the other side recognize that and they want to work with you because they don't want it to be a hard transaction, they want it to be easy, they want to have great communication, they want someone who's going to be kind on the other end and not feel like it's a struggle. So when you present yourself and communicate that way, I think that helps things go in the right direction.
Speaker 1:So that goes back to my word for you relationships, so the relationship with the co-op agents and your fellow agents here is just as important.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. So I try to join as many networking groups with agents locally as I can because it's A I like them, and B because I think that is really important for us to all get along and, you know, see each other out and you know, have some sort of a friendship, so that I'm not brand new to someone and they may say, oh, I've never worked with you, but I've heard about you, or whatever. It just helps present the transaction, the offer.
Speaker 1:You know a little bit smoother, yeah, so one of the other things I want to kind of segue over to is your community involvement. So you do a lot of really great things that you do in around town with Kim and you visit a lot of local businesses. Tell us why you do that.
Speaker 2:So I just think it's important. Originally, the thought was all right, wouldn't it be really cool to have a YouTube channel that was central to this area, that when a buyer comes from out of state or out of town, I could say, look, go to around town with Kim, you're going to see all these wonderful things and why this area is so great. And then we started doing videos and people were so receptive to it and so grateful and I was like this is actually so cool because I'm getting to know people and it's fun and it's helping their business thrive and it's just built again building relationships. So the Around Town with Kim was built kind of to create a YouTube channel, but it's actually not what I use it for. It's more a commercial based portal really for these businesses so that they have a commercial that they can use for themselves.
Speaker 2:And you know we try not to make it like don't make it about Valentine's day, Don't make it about Christmas, just make it so you could use this at any time of year. Um, and they really appreciate it. It's been really good and I've had people call me that I didn't know. Um, you know. So it's not just all, it's a lot of people that I know, but it's a lot of people that I don't know as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's really great. It's smart too, because you are now providing a value to that business owner and you're giving them an outlet to take a video and share it with their consumers, which are now getting your information too, and your consumers are getting their information. It's a really smart play on that.
Speaker 2:I try not to make it about real estate though, because, again, like we all know 50,000 realtors, everybody knows so many realtors, so if I can just provide value, then they appreciate that, and you know, like you said, yes, it will get out there, but the point is more, the premise was to use it for my own benefit, but now it's just fun and it gets me to learn more about businesses, because there's really some neat businesses and locations here that I didn't even know about.
Speaker 1:Had I not have done this, so I think I'm adding a new word to you value. How do you provide value in every relationship? Because everything you've said so far, you look at what it is you're bringing to the table. So for the consumer, there's nothing that's selfish about you. Everything that you do is really outward going, and I love that. So I think that's one of the one of the reasons we're such good friends. On top of everything else, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2:I wish we could do this for free. Yeah, I really do. I wish I didn't have bills to pay, because I really love what I do and I wish I didn't have to collect a commission, because I feel bad sometimes. And people feel bad because they're like you know, like I had to rent her the other day and she ended up finding her own place, which was totally fine, and she was like, well, I should pay you something and honestly, it wasn't that much of my time, but I felt bad, that she felt bad, right, that she felt she needed to compensate me because it was time we spent together that I actually enjoyed, right.
Speaker 1:And sometimes the compensation comes from a referral of a friend or a family member or someone who needs help.
Speaker 2:It's not always financial, yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that's one of the lessons too, for the agents especially is it's not. It isn't about the commission check. And the second it becomes about, that is when you can kind of stamp the ticket that you're almost out of the business. The most successful agents really do it because they are fulfilled and they love helping people make the largest purchase they're going to make. That's going to be great for their family and their future. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's different. It's different. I have a couple of clients right now. I have a couple of projects. I'll call them and you know, when they called they knew their house wasn't ready. And I do have people that are available to me that are happy to help and are excellent organizers and stagers and whatnot, and we have been working on some of these homes to try to get them ready, staged and ready for sale. But that is so much fun to me because A I get to know the person so much on a much deeper level and my one client right now has been just it's a lot, because it's a lot of family items that have been just kind of dumped on her over the years and it's so rewarding to see her process this and be okay yeah, be okay through the process because it's been a lot.
Speaker 1:That's a lot, and sometimes I don't have someone to be there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're exactly right, right you?
Speaker 1:can be. You're really the anchor.
Speaker 2:I want to be absolutely so. That's. That's the thing I want them to think of me when they have an issue, whether it's, you know, five years after the sale or while we're going through it. I want them to think of well, you know, I'll call Kim, I need a roo them. They were first-time homebuyers and if they see this, I will tell them I was talking about them. They were clueless about homeownership. I mean, they knew nothing. I would get calls from them every day about every single question. So I created a box like we're going to go through this together once you settle in. And then their heater died, of course, and know like. And we did inspections a couple weeks after and they went with a company that wasn't on my list and they had the worst experience. And they have never done that again. They're like why did we? We've never had a bad experience with any of Kim's people, so I don't know where I got off on that tangent, but the point is I want them, I want people to think of me as their support system.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, that's exactly what it was. Yep, that's perfect. Um, so I guess if you could give a piece of advice to the agents, um, out there who are maybe struggling or just starting off in the business or hearing that the market's going to be awful Um, first of all, it's not. But what would you say for someone who's looking at you or any other successful agent and they're like I want to do that, Is it easy?
Speaker 2:It's not easy and you're not alone, because I can tell you that we all go through those times where you know, oh my gosh, I have no settlements this month or I don't know when I'm going to have, like you know, because you don't want to do this for the money, but this is your livelihood and your bills do come, regardless of whether you are helping people or not, and we all have those ups and downs and it's hard. This is a very hard business. There's times of year and I need to put it in my calendar. Honestly, every December, I need to put it in my calendar. Don't worry about it, everything's going to be okay, Because you do go through ebbs and flows of business.
Speaker 2:So do go through ebbs and flows of business. So my advice to you is don't think about your bills, because that's what's the negative energy that's going to feed into your mind and make you not productive. Think about what business do I have? What people can I help? That's in front of me and that's what I need to focus on, because when you focus on the good, the bad actually does go away, because everything starts to evolve. So true Mindset, yeah mindset, mindset, mindset.
Speaker 1:So put in a hard day's work. You know it's not easy. You need to come in and do the activities and it'll eventually all work out, right yeah. If focused on the positive If you're focused on it. Yeah, so you want to really succeed. Yeah, kim, thank you so much.