6.5 years as a Land Specialist Real Estate Agent-Lessons learned

[Neil Hauger]

6 years ago I made a similar post and it seemed to resonate with many people as a few even sought me out and told me how the post had touched them.  So, I thought I would do a follow up and do a "deep dive" into my experience to date.  I am in year 6 of my journey working for the number one Land Broker in the nation.  I don't' think I can self promote here without getting "the dreaded email" Lol so I won't say the name of my company.  But if you like land we are not hard to find.  I have learned a few things along the way and had some decent success.  I work in the Land business so it is not exactly the same as residential sales but there are some similarities in the process.  So, I am not comparing my success to your potential success but rather, I am simply opening up on the process and journey I have gone through.  I hope you find this update helpful if not entertaining!  

As you may recall, in 2015 my career was abruptly ended.  I was a Director of Sales with a 25 year career in medical devices.  One day I showed up at work and was told the company was sold.  And that was it.  I was done.  I took 8 months to enjoy my freedom but knew I had to find something to do.  I was 51 and unemployed. For more than a few years I had followed this great Land Broker Company on TV and on YouTube as they had a show there.  They sold Hunting land, Farm land, Timber and Mineral properties.  The lifestyle and business spoke to me in way it is hard to explain.  I think the hand of God lead me to this company.  If you want to learn more, see if you can find my last post where I wrote about this transition.  This post is about my lessons and success 6 years into this journey.  All of it.  So, if you are thinking that you want to do what I did then read on.  This is my true story.  And, if you want to talk,  reach out to me.  You can find me at the company website under the Agents tab.  I am located in Western Wi, just look for my name (Neil A. Hauger).

So, lessons I learned.  Well for one it takes money and drive to get started and be successful.  Being with a well known company does not hurt either but, it is not a guarantee of success.  Two guys before me in my territory had done ok but not great.  One even said to me "you can do ok, but you cannot make a living doing this in this area".  Maybe it was my stubbornness, or maybe it was my skill.  Or maybe a combination of both.  But when he said that I thought to myself, well we shall see!  So I went to work building my business.  

Step 1- Take an inventory of all your assets.  

The first thing I did was write down all the tools I had at my disposal.  Literally, I wrote a list.  Our company has been very active on the internet since its inception in around 2007 with a TV show on the Sportsman's Channel that aired nationally each week in the fall.  They also had many short films that would get posted on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook etc.  They have a YouTube show called "Land Beat".  I saw that content as a great way to make a splash in the market and really plant my flag locally.  All this content that was available to me and started to put it to use on many social media sites.  I just cut and pasted.  More on that later.  I also inventoried the "tools of the trade" and what I needed in order to do the job.  Every job has required tools.  Be it a carpenter and a hammer or a loan officer and a calculator.  Every job requires certain tools.  For my job I found I needed the following.  An ATV (later a UTV as riding "nut to butt" is not cool!), truck to load it (later I bought a trailer), good camera (iphone can work too), Drone (nothing shoots land better than aerial pics and vids), marketing budget, rubber boots ( good for swamps and cold weather snow), rain gear, bug proof clothing, Sawyers brand repellent, a good hat, marketing material, letter head, computer, printer, filing cabinet, RE license, certifications.  I'd say by the time I got all the above I was close to $100,000 into it.  Yep, I spent $100,000 that first year just getting set up. I invested heavily in myself so I could get off to a fast start.  Do you need all of this?  No.  But, I use all of this every day so I say it was a integral part of my success.  Tools of the trade:$100,000 initial investment.

Step 2 -Marketing

Marketing is so important and so under executed.  And in many ways, still a mystery to me.  I will never say I am the best but I do it often.  I make content every day.  My simple recommendation based on the Gary Keller book Million Dollar Real Estate Agent was to spend 10-12% of my gross annual sales commission on marketing.  I currently have about a $50,000/year marketing budget.  I plan my year as will explain shortly and then commit to spending that money.  Once I start a marketing tool such as lead generation card I add something more to it next year such as Facebook Boosting.  I don't back off on cards I add to the budget.  So, for example.  If I spend $7000 on cards sent monthly on year one.  I continue or even add to that in year two but also spend $1000 on Boosting.  Then I started adding bill boards and grab new ones as they come up.  I continue to "layer market" each and every year keeping the 10-12% total marketing budget as my goal.  So here are some specifics of my marketing plan  One of my best tools has been post cards.  I initially covered 13 counties.  I have exclusive right to them.  No other WTP agent markets or sells here.  I send one card to each county 3 times a year.  I buy mailer lists from a company and target all land owners 40 ac and above.  The cards are very high quality, great photography usually from a drone.  And have a simple message "We Sell Land."  I mail these consistently month after month, year after year. I never stop.  It takes 10 touches for someone to remember you.  I have had many times where I sat in the kitchen of a prospective client and they said I get regular cards from you.  I get others but I get a lot from you.  So, when they finally decided to list, they called me as I was front of mind.  More on that soon.  The lesson: Send post cards monthly, budget 10-12% of your gross commission annually and build on your marketing.  Layer, adding new marketing to the old.  

-Create a uniform to brand yourself.  If you can find me on my YouTube channel you will see I wear almost the same clothes every day.  A Khaki color button down fishing shirt, Sitka Gear pants and Keen hiking boots in summer and LaCrosse rubber boots in the winter.  I of course have multiple sets but I wear this in almost every situation when I am on video or on a property with a client.  I want to brand myself, exude professionalism and create a sense of "hey I know this guy" as they see me all the time on Social Media dressed this way.  I am very predictable and it creates a sense of comfort I think.  Your brand may be hey dudes, shorts, suit or mini!  Be you and be consistent but look professional.  

-Social Media.  This is by far the most under utilized tool.  I try to create content almost every day.  My iphone in my hand is likely the best tool I have to build my brand.  It takes nothing to do a "covert property tour" and post it up on Facebook.  Or better yet do a Facebook live.  I actually talked to Brandon once about how he does the podcast and considered starting one myself but never followed through on that.  But I did star a YouTube Channel. I have found that if you are going to do SM get a decent camera (I do all mine with iphone) and audio equipment. I bought a WirelessGo system and it works great. Sound quality is so key. When I have a lot of wind sound I cringe now!
I have posted every Friday at 5pm for over a year.  But, due to the volume I am working and a desire to have some work life balance I am now dropping a video every two weeks on Friday.  The key to social media is consistency.  My Facebook is a little more unproduced, spontaneous but the YouTube Channel I hired an editor.  Still, it is not meant to be short film quality production but I strive to be pretty professional at it.  My company puts out a lot of content I grab and re post a lot.  I look for content my followers may find interesting. I have a process called "entertainment, education, sales, sales.  Meaning.  I post something entertaining, educational then two properties (sales-sales).  That way I have balance and retain interest.   Lesson-Just start posting, do it regularly, smile and don't critique yourself to much.  I will be fine.

3.  Training and Education

Get trained and be the best in your craft.  It only starts with your license.  You have to be a lifelong student.  I have many certifications and I am working toward being a Certified Land specialist with the Realtors Land Institute.  Look it up.  It take quite a bit to get this prestigious designation.  I soak up anything related to land.  Land sales, weekly agriculture report texts, reviews on seeds/fertilizers/equipment YouTube videos, podcasts.  I even listen to BP and find things that I can relate back to for my own SM.  I strive to be a pseudo expert in anything land.  I don't try to over impress my farmer/land owners clients with discussions on Clethodim, Glysophate or tree species but I basically know what they are!  When people ask me about planting farmland, food plots or tree and plant species  I have developed an above average knowledge level.  I do my best to walk the walk, talk the talk.  My clients expect that I am the best in the business so I do my best to not let them down.  The lesson here is be THE expert in your niche and be a life long student

4.  Effort

If you are in sales ask yourself this question.  How many times did I put myself in a situation to sell something today?  If you just started RE sales you are at least 60 to 90 days from your first paycheck or your next one. That can be really daunting.  You have to work every day.  All day if needed  24/7/365.  For the past 6.5 years I work from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed.  I make my self 100% available.  I earned tens of thousands simply by outworking people as I am never the smartest guy in the room.  I find it true that the harder I work the luckier I get.  When I started this career I left the house at 0630 and did not come home until 2200 many many nights.  Weekends, holidays, in church, out to dinner, vacations... I worked.  When winter came most agents said it is to cold to go out.  I have worked when snow was up to my thighs and it was -15!  I dress for the weather, and it does not stop me.  I drive about 60,0000 miles a year and have wore out two trucks so far.  I just went over 200,000 miles on my 2016 Silverado.  I drive less now but still, I put on a lot of miles.  No distance, swamp, heat, mosquitos, ticks, briars would stop me.  Nothing.  I'm hardened, motivated and passionate about Land sales.  Lesson-  When you think you have given it your all, you have not.  There is always more to give.  

5.  Be memorable

Since I send the WE SELL LAND cards monthly I soon became very niched but I prefer that.  Why would I want to limit myself you ask?  Why not make any type of RE available as my target vs a small niche?  I will explain it like this.  Michael Jordan was the best dunker in the game.  Ask 10 people and his name will come up eventually.  Although, there are thousands of NBA players you remember Michael as he was the best.  He did one thing really well.  Dunk the ball with gusto flying from the free throw line.  You know the picture I am describing?  See how that picture stuck in your mind?  You can see an outline of him on a shirt and you know who he is.  I aim to be the best in a small niche.  Land became MY niche in my area.  I now own it in my area.  I am not everything to everybody.  I am everything to a few-land owners 40 ac and above.  Look at any industry and those that are very good at a very narrow focus are always paid the best.  Cardiac Surgeon vs a General Surgeon.  Corporate Trial Lawyer vs a general attorney.  Ferrari salesman vs a used car salesman. Or a F18 pilot vs a cargo plane pilot.  You get the point.  Be the best in a small niche and you will get paid way better than most.  My goal is to stand out from the thousands of RE agents in my area.  There are many RE agents to choose from, there is only one Land Specialist to choose from.  Soon, people started to call me the Land Man and eventually the Wisconsin Land Man which I now use on my social media hashtag on Instagram.  It was a nickname that stuck.  It is simple, memorable and fits.  Lesson- be memorable. 

6.  My results:  

Ok if you have stuck with me here goes.  I am going to give you some insight to my financial success.  I am not doing this to brag, I am doing this to give you motivation that if I can do it so can you.  I know I have earned more than some but not as much as many.  This info is a lifeline I am dropping down to anyone who wonders if they can do this.  Yes you can.  These are my approximate net earnings (its not exact as I do not remember.  I am always looking forward not behind but still dollars are our measurement as sales people.  It is all anyone will remember in the end).  Year 1-with 8 months time Net $80K,  Year 2-Net $120,000,  Year 3-Net apx $180K,  Year 4- $220K  Year 5 $280 as I recall, Year 6-  I think I will do over $300K.  Those are my numbers.  Again, I am not trying to brag.  I am putting myself out there so you can see it can happen.

Well that is it.  My 6 years as a Land Specialist and a follow up to my first post 5 years ago.  I have had a few of you search me out and call me personally.  I love talking to you.  Thanks for following me on SM and subscribing to my YT vlog.  Go chase your dreams, do what you love, follow your heart and your passion will make you successful no matter what you earn.  I will leave you with this pearl as a guy named Gary told me this in my first month, in my new Pharma sales job in 1997.  Gary was retiring soon.  I remember him as a old school "detail man" who smoked, had worn out suits but so much wisdom.  Gary looked at me through dirty glasses, took a long drag from his cigarette, blew it in my face and said "Kid, here is the secret to success in this business-hell in life!   Go do one good thing every day and sell something to someone.  Even if all you sell is yourself."  I always remembered that day and I went and tried to live it.  I hope it helps you.  Good Selling.