Category: Broker Profile

Nate Douglas, Broker/Owner of Help-U-Sell Santa Maria, is one the rare individuals who has always been in real estate. Since he was 17 and fresh out of high school, he had an early introduction courtesy of his father, who owned a mortgage broker business. “I learned everything about the mortgage industry naturally from being around my father. I started out in loan processing and eventually bought his business. I then worked closely with Ken Kopcho, who owned this Help-U-Sell office before me. In 2017, Ken was ready to retire and I had the opportunity to buy his business, so I got my broker’s license. I have a property management company as well,” Nate shared.

Like many people right out of high school, Nate attended college and sought a degree in Business Administration. He explained, “The real estate market was starting to boom and I was influenced as a product of circumstance. I’ve always been good with math, so mortgages and real estate clicked with me. It made sense to go ‘all in’, so I left college. Everything I was being taught in the classroom, I was learning in real life working side-by-side with my father. He was an excellent instructor, and he invented work-life balance for me. He taught me to work smarter, because working excessively long hours lowers your value. I was making more money than my professors and bought my first house when I was only 20 years old. Most people rent when they leave their parents’ house, so I was ahead of the curve. Nothing beats being your own boss.”

Nate is still handling mortgages, and shares the office with another broker and a buyer’s agent who spearhead most of the transactions. “We are on track for at least 30 transactions this year. I’ve owned the office for a little more than a year, and fully expect we will be transitioning to a stronger year for 2019. Santa Maria is one of the least expensive places to live on the central California coast. It’s the biggest city between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and with the median house price being $360,000, we see a lot of population turnover because we deal with a lot of entry-level homes – which is great for business,” Nate said. “In recent months, inventory has been shrinking, but we’re seeing more properties under contract at a higher price. If our efforts snag three to five of those per month, we’re doing very well.”

Aware of the long Help-U-Sell history, Nate has witnessed the brand grow both locally and nationally over the last several years. He added, “We get many transactions from people who used Help-U-Sell in another area of the state or country, 25% of our volume comes from that alone. This office has been around for a long time, so we garner repeat business from that pre-built great reputation in the community. These folks already understand that a set-fee translates into big savings. Our past clients boost our business with word-of-mouth referrals, which is pure gold. When you’re established and do good work, you make happy clients. People will find you.”

With fly-by-night real estate models popping up and disappearing just as quickly, Nate sees the Help-U-Sell brand gaining traction. “We definitely have a competitive advantage over the sea of local, traditional agents. Many people – and I mean the general public – don’t know that commissions are negotiable. This is partially because big-name real estate establishments require properties to be listed at a certain percent. Since that is a franchise rule, many people are fooled into believing that is what they must accept. The mentality of what you must pay for a real estate transaction is shifting, and points to the growing success of a company like Help-U- Sell.”

To grow a different source of business leads, Nate purchases zip code leads but concedes referrals are always the way to go. “Much of the new business is done the old school way: Flawless presentations, treating clients with respect and guiding them through the process. They have to get in front of you to see who you are,” Nate explained.

When he’s not running a three-in-one real estate business, Nate is taking trips with his girlfriend who loves travel. With a trip to China on the horizon, his father’s advice of working smarter continues to pay off.

Adalberto “Tito” Gonzalez’s entrance into real estate began with pure moxie. “I walked into a Help-U-Sell Real Estate office and asked for a job. The owner of the franchise told me to get my real estate license and come back to work for him. So that is exactly what I did,” Tito shared, laughing. In March 2004, Tito got his license and started as an escrow processor. “There was so much to learn because I had never been in real estate. Previously, I was helping my dad, who owned apartment complexes, and studying music composition at a San Jose college. This was a whole new venture, but I was fascinated.”

When Tito later became a Broker, he opened his own office, Help-U-Sell  South Santa Clara County. Working with him are two part-time agents, several referral-only agents and a virtual processor. “I train and mentor people on how to handle buyer leads and everything else. I believe training consistently solves 80% of the challenges that come up around real estate. They are better equipped to handle the nuances of the industry. You know you’ve been doing something right for a long time when old sellers come back to you a second time around, or their grown children are seeking their own real estate from you. When you’re competing against traditional real estate, you have to offer more. With repeat and generational clients coming to me, I have proven my methods. Service stays with people,” Tito said.

When it comes to marketing and brand awareness, Tito is not afraid of mixing approaches. “There’s so much advertising that you can do. The corporate office has done a great job of automating the Center of Influence (CI) and Arounds postcards. I always use the postcards because they are super easy. CI contacts get hit with active listings and they see you are still in business. The neighbors receiving the Arounds postcards result in me providing many free market valuations. I had the company car wrapped two and a half years ago. That cost me $2,400, but I know it brought in four total sides for me. I’m the only Help-U-Sell broker within a 25-mile radius, so many small efforts keep my presence known, and it works,” Tito explained. “Help-U-Sell reduces the amount of time that I spend on marketing. I don’t have four hours to spend working on a single piece. When we set up the postcards, they’re done right and then it’s automated. I love the Power Listing Tools, too. You upload the picture and information, and they send you a box of attractive marketing materials, including door hangers. It’s impressive to the client, and again, it’s easy and looks great.”

A natural sales closer for Tito is telling potential clients how much he has saved for others. “When I walk into a listing appointment, I tell them ‘if you pick me just because you like me, that’s not better for you’. That’s not a competitive edge. I always have the program ready with a photo of the house and the flyers made up. I share information of the recently sold homes in their area and show them how much my previous clients have saved. Usually it is around $14,000, and generally gets a great response. Sellers hate paying 5% or 6% commission, but they are also afraid to let go of the old model. I’ve built my entire message around, ‘What would you do with $14,000?’ I tell them if I’m not the right fit for them, they can use me as a resource, which engenders trust,” Tito said.

While other franchise options have appeared and disappeared over the years, Tito is quite happy with his very first choice. He went on to say, “I first showed up to Help-U-Sell because I wanted to learn and work. I’ve stayed with Help-U-Sell because it’s a small, ‘open door’ company. It’s easy to reach people at the home office. The Annual Summit also creates that accessible feeling, which I like. I’ve not seen other real estate options that are a better fit. I stuck around because we rock the boat. Help-U-Sell has the power to be different by offering a different product. Despite would-be copycats, there’s nothing like this out there. The high quality and caliber of what they create in combination with a strong value proposition keeps me motivated.”

Tito’s success is not lost on other competitors, either. “What is really flattering is, I am often headhunted by traditional real estate offices. They don’t get that I have my own business with my own brand, I’m independent and have the flexibility I need. What could they possibly offer me? Why would I possibly want to work for someone else?” Tito asked.

“I’ll tell you one last thing,” Tito said, “One day, out of the blue, the Florida-based Owner/Chief Operating Officer and his wife showed up at my office in California! They’re kind, low-key people, highly approachable and very warm. I don’t know of any instance where the owner of a company shows up at a franchisee office just to have a look around, say hello, and see how things are going for you. There’s that book, Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, Help-U-Sell is the purple cow.”

Danny Kettle was working in regional sales in California, selling garage door systems to big box stores when a friend from his home state suggested he get involved in real estate. His friend owned a Help-U-Sell Real Estate franchise office and explained there was nothing else like it around. Business was good, and he invited Danny to get involved.

He moved back to Utah and pursued his real estate license while his friend was the broker of record. “Retrospectively, I realize 2007 was not the best time to get involved in real estate, but we made it work. I made a check every month. We had to be lean at first, and since I was still learning, that was okay,” Danny shared. “I spent three years as an agent and then became a broker. My partner had a reciprocal license out of Idaho and consulted.”

Since those lean beginnings, Danny’s office, Help-U-Sell Legacy, has grown to nine licensed agents. “Me and three other people produce the majority of the transactions each month. The others are part-time and mostly show houses. We also have a transaction coordinator, of course. I’ve only ever added people to our team when natural growth made sense. I’m not out there recruiting,” he added.

While his team is always working hard, part of the recent success is due to the hot market in Utah right now. “We list homes and have a contract within a few days. Much of the new growth is due to tech companies coming here, which is creating the need for more infrastructure and homes. The airport was recently expanded, and we now have an area called “Silicon Slopes” (akin to Silicon Valley in California). Homes are in short supply; contractors can’t build them fast enough, even though they are trying.  The median price of a home was around $275,000 just last year, now it’s more common to see houses in the $300,000 to $450,000 range. Our region is really growing quickly,” Danny explained.

To handle the uptick in his market, Danny had a plan already in place. He went on to say, “The main thing is to have the right people with you as growth happens. A few of my agents have been with me for more than five or six years. I can’t say enough good things about Tasha, our Transaction Coordinator and Office Manager. She really takes care of everything the team needs. Brandon is one of my main producers, he’s responsible for about half of the transactions in our office.  Last year we did 70 transactions, this year we’re on track to do at least that, if not more. One of my agents speaks Spanish and since we’re getting a lot of clientele moving here from California, we’re positioned to serve another burgeoning market. We continually add new services to accommodate change.”

When it comes to competition, Danny is confident in his ability to outperform them. “Help-U-Sell is different from every other real estate franchise out there. When I meet with a new client for a listing, I tell them that I’m going to do exactly the same thing as a traditional brokerage. But I’ll do even more on top of that, and I’m going to save them money while I’m doing it. I almost always get the sale with that approach,” Danny said. “People don’t want to give away all the equity in their house. The business model helps us pick up more listings. We illustrate that we can do it all, and the clients sign on gladly.”

To help spread awareness, Danny is fond of using the automated Center of Influence postcards and the “Just Listed/Just Sold” postcards. “We’ve begun working with the FSBO and Expired Listing programs as well; we expect it will add traction. However, what we find works best is just getting in front of people. When we illustrate the value of what we do naturally, along with the professional, ready-made marketing materials from the corporate office, it all comes together easily,” Danny explained.

In his off time, Danny is raising four kids with his wife, Jessica, who has a bustling business as a wedding photographer. He supports the Sunflower Charity, a children’s home in Peru for orphans and street children. This year he took his oldest child to Peru on a humanitarian trip, where they  served children at the Sunflower Children’s home. Danny added, “Right now we’re helping 15 kids, the capacity for the house is 80. There’s more fundraising to do because we want to help more people. Part of my drive to succeed with my Help-U-Sell business is so that I’m able to do good elsewhere.”