A little over a year ago, Gary Julian wanted to get back into real estate and decided to become a Help-U-Sell Real Estate franchise owner after spending many years previously as an Assist-2-Sell owner. Today, he and his wife, Wendy, run Help-U-Sell Julian Team in Lancaster, CA.
“With my prior business, the brand didn’t have the power to draw people in and the incoming calls trickled. The moment we attached the Help-U-Sell brand to our office name and advertising, we started attracting new people and past Help-U-Sell clients from name recognition alone. We have a client right now in escrow because they found us through the Help-U-Sell office locator online. That’s the power of national brand recognition,” Gary said.
While both franchises have a flat fee structure in common, the comparison ends there for Gary. “When I purchased my other franchise, there was nothing being offered like coaching. It felt like: ‘Here’s your franchise certificate, we’ll talk to you next year.’ Not only is Help-U-Sell the original disruptor, they are bringing so much more to the table. The people in management are a lot more accessible, from general outreach to the coaching groups. Their marketing programs are always expanding and evolving for the better. I love the quick response from the folks in the tech department. They ensure everything is in working order and are on point with troubleshooting,” Gary explained.
There are many behind-the-scenes marketing technology systems in place that simplify daily activities for the Broker/Owners at Help-U-Sell, such as drip email campaigns and the Arounds postcards program. However, what Gary most appreciates are the more public marketing pieces, such as the website, catchy videos to share on social media sites, and powerful national branding efforts. Mr. Julian went on to say, “When it comes to overcoming a tight inventory, the impact of the national branding makes your business so visible that home sellers come looking for you. When I get to conduct a personal visit and make the listing presentation, I get the listing almost every time. When people search you out AND you get the listing, that’s a pretty great combination.”
When it comes to handling competition, Gary is confident about his business stacking up against other local realtors. He said, “When people do the math on the median price of a 6% commission on a home here, it sticks in their throat because they’re likely to spend about $16,800. Our flat fee is $4,400, so saving $12,000 while not sacrificing service is a big deal to people who want to save money. With traditional real estate, brokers and agents have to stalk potential clients in an effort to get their business. My experience with Help-U-Sell is that people go out of their way to find you. It’s a complete 180.”
Most important to Gary is how the Help-U-Sell Real Estate program is exactly the right fit for the “lean and mean” Julian team. Gary Julian shared, “I like the Help-U-Sell concept of a tight team to service clients instead of a large office of dozens of agents. If you’re looking for a way to build up your business without peripheral people who are not making you money, or a giant office full of people that don’t know who you are, then Help-U-Sell is the way to go. It’s a great business to own. I love this company.”