The true value of all your unpaid work

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It's hard to quantify the value of the work you do that doesn't directly lead to a commission:

• Being nice to nosy neighbours at open homes
• Helping people out in your community
• All the flyers you drop that don't get a response
• Appraisals you do where the owner isn't serious about selling
• All the low offers you write up that lead nowhere
• Countless miles driven in your sign-written car
• Community events you attend just to be helpful
• Emails you send that don't get a single response
• Online enquiries you answer that never turn into anything
• Open homes where no one shows up

I could go on.

I know it doesn't feel like it at the time, but these are all examples of unpaid work that can create income in the future (I promise!).

Therefore, all this work does have value. And if you approach this work in the right way, it's likely this work will lead to a lot of future income.

The amount of income it creates depends largely on how you approach these situations.

For example,

• Your attitude when you are at community events or open homes.
• The quality of the content in your emails.
• Professionalism of the collateral you have available at open homes.
• The way you treat people who aren't going to solve your immediate problems, like buying that house you desperately want to sell.

In real estate, we don't know when the payoff is going to come for our good deeds.

All I can tell you is that having been in this industry a long time, it definitely does come if you approach the work in the right way. And that basically means you have to embrace delayed gratification.

Treat every person you interact with as a future seller.

I still have owners occasionally contact me about selling their home, asking who they should use. I last sold a house in 2019. Consider that for a moment, a 5-year trail of income opportunities, still being generated by the work I put in many years ago.

Numerous times throughout my career I had people approach me to list their home for sale. When I asked them why they called me, they would say something like:

"We came to one of your open homes 5 years ago. We've been getting your email newsletter ever since. We didn't end up buying through you but we always felt that if we ever ended up selling, you'd be the one we would call..."

I would often be the only agent they called in. Why? Because those owners had been receiving communication from me for years, they already knew me, liked me, and trusted my ability to get the job done.

I was already their real estate agent even though I didn't know it yet.

So that's the real question:

How many people in your community would say you are their preferred real estate agent (even if you don't know it yet)?

Our goal in real estate is to build up that group of people. You get there through regular communication, expert positioning, brand awareness in your local market and by educating buyers and sellers in a way that helps them make positive real estate decisions.

So next time you do an open home where no one turns up, or show a buyer through a home only to find out they have no chance of buying it, next time you are struggling, wondering to yourself: "What's the point?", remember that every bit of real estate work you do has value.

• There's value in the smile and wave you give to the neighbour when you walk into that open home that no one comes to. They receive your farm area newsletters and have been following your career. You don't know them but they are going to hire you to sell their home in 18 months time.
• The inexperienced buyer who offered $200k below asking price and totally wasted your time appreciated the way you treated them with patience and respect, answering all their questions even though they had no chance of buying the house. Because of that, they'll eventually buy a first home, and sell it through you when they move to Australia in 2 years.
• A couple walk in and out of your open home without saying anything at all but they take note of your professional approach and the handy information you make available. It turns out they have a home to sell and are secret shopping real estate agents to find out who they prefer. 4 months later they call you to arrange an appraisal.

It's one of the incredible aspects of being in this job. Every single person you interact with could be a potential seller. If not soon, then one day in the future. Therefore, every interaction in your community, no matter how small or insignificant it feels in the moment has real, tangible value to your business.

Content Club: How to use online home value estimates - tips for sellers

We want to help your potential sellers understand the limitations of these sites, how they can use the info to make good decisions, and how important it is not to rely too closely on the estimates provided.

Have an epic week!

Andrew Duncan

PS. Click here to book a one-on-one coaching session.

PPS. For a deeper dive into the power of content marketing, check out this guide.