The screen if you like. And have a nice time.
How come I got so many important people? Hi, guys.
We're gonna have some fun. Right, guys? Yeah.
We're gonna have fun.
I'm excited. Everybody. How you doing?
Hey. Good to see you.
How you doing?
Okay. Everyone is pouring in. Let's give it a couple of minutes for people to kinda join.
Throw some, locations in the chat. Let us know where you're coming from. Remember, we can't see you in your reaction. So as I say every time, flex those fingers.
Get them ready. We want the questions. We want the emojis. We want the reactions. That way you can see how much you're loving this amazing panel.
Give everyone a couple of minutes.
How are you guys doing today? How's your Sunday?
It's been good. It's been good. Yeah. We did, we did a panel earlier, which was awesome. And, yeah, just it's it's been awesome to see how many people are showing up over the weekend.
It's so true. Yeah. Hodge and I kicked it off with, the coffee one this morning, and we had, we had almost a hundred people on.
Amazing.
Yeah. It was great.
I had a full family day, so I I'll be here at seven. So lots of meal prep and family fun. So I I'm excited for the next two one.
I love it. I love it.
Alright. We got Miami, Tennessee, Coral Springs, Florida, Miramar, Dothan, Houston, Gloucester, Virginia. There you go. Madison, Wisconsin.
Alright. There you go.
Yeah.
A lot of Texas in the house.
I like that. I'm not the only one.
There you go.
Let's give it a couple more minutes. We'll we'll we will kick it off at four zero four, guys. So, if you know someone who's not here, text them real fast and say they're about to have miss having their mind absolutely blown on a Sunday afternoon.
Berkeley, Massachusetts, Virginia Beach. K. Massachusetts.
Right. People keep piling in. Yeah. I thought it was wild the other night.
On Friday, RP, and I were going in the later it got, the more people that showed up. Like, the closer it got to I mean, it was just the numbers kept climbing and climbing. Like, it was wild to see, you know, just how many people were investing their Friday night, getting in.
Okay.
Let's see. Wait. I pronounced mass Massachusetts? Massa am I saying it wrong? Lori Lori's calling me out.
That's how I pronounce Glauchess well, I probably am gonna say it wrong. Gloucester? No. That's probably not it.
It's Gloucester, guys.
Gloucester. When I first got here, but completely slaughtered. Oh, okay.
Oh, it is Massachusetts. They're giving you a hard timeline.
I know. Massachusetts.
You use a t Just like it sounds, David.
I know. Right? Come on now.
Hey. We all learn something every single day. And and and it's it's not Gloucester. It's Gloucester.
Gloucester.
Yeah. That's I was I was told that when I went there because I did the same thing.
That's wild. Alright.
Well, I'm staying away from that part of the country for sure, because it's way too complicated, and I'm gonna get called out. So And shout out to San Antonio.
Be safe.
That's right. That's right. Only state names.
Right? Only, keep it really simple for us. Okay. So four zero five, let's get it kicked off. We've got an amazing panel. I'll let them introduce themselves as the topic today is buyer conversations. Right?
Yeah. I think we're doing some role play.
I'm excited.
Yeah. This is gonna be awesome.
David, I know you're excited for that.
I I love a good role play. Okay. So let's go. Christina, tell us about you.
Alright. Hey, everyone. Christina Griffin. I'm from, Tampa, Florida. I've been in real estate over twenty years.
Personally, I've sold over five thousand transactions. Joined the LPT executive team, two and a half months ago. I'm the vice president of partnerships and national real estate opportunities.
Awesome. And the legendary Michael Valdez, tell us about you.
I don't know if it's legendary or not, but I am Michael Valdez. I'm the CEO of LPT International. I joined about a month ago, so I'm brand spanking new. But my twentieth year in real estate, I, moved over from another cloud based brokerage. And before that, I was, fifteen years at Realty.
Awesome. And I am the legendary David Lewis. I will, I I will affirm that one, from Atlanta, Georgia, the proud owner and CEO of the TLG Atlanta team, one of the founding executives here at LPT, and, happy to be back. So between the three of us, we all have a pretty unique perspective, all joining within the past a hundred and twenty days and coming in.
So I'll throw this out there because we all have such vast realtor networks and all of us have, returning or coming to LPT.
I'm still part of a lot of networks from these other brokerages and a lot of these things, and I've been seeing the sentiment across the board that for the non LPT agents, there's a lot of panic. There's a lot of misinformation. There's a lot of, unpreparedness going on in this agent base, but it's the opposite of what I've seen here at LPT. I've seen this I've seen these our agents go from not a clue and scared to confident to thriving with the success the success stories have been rolling in about how people are getting agreement signed left and right and how their confidence is going up. So that that's been a really cool affirmation for me to to see just across the the real board. Have you have you of the realtor world. Have you guys seen that?
Yeah. You know, it it's it's really interesting. On every single phone call, we have been able to have this conversation about mindset. It's the idea that I keep saying this is the best thing that's happened to our industry. They are now if you are a buy a buyer's broker, you are no longer limited to your compensation based on what the listing agent has done and what they're offering you as a co broke. Now you have the opportunity to give unbelievable value and get paid for that and not have a limit on what that value is. That to me is the most exciting thing that can happen right now.
And I think that people, when they have that shift in their mindset of I am no longer blocked by how much I can make by somebody else Mhmm.
And this is freedom to me. I love this. This is really where that whole mindset shift really comes into mind.
I I love that you said where they're not blocked around what they can make. And, David, on the daily changes, what I have heard that I I'd say seems to echo across everyone I've spoke to is because we're we're training and teaching daily, it feels like every the the conversation I I've had is people feel like we're walking the changes and the ups and downs with them, and and that to me has, been the most impactful that you guys have to know, we're you're not in it alone. We have been in the business for a long time. However, we're here to help and support you every step of the way. So this daily interaction and daily teaching, it it truly just shows, we're all in it together.
I love that. They just put in there listing agents no longer caps my value.
Yes. That's so powerful.
Yes. Yeah. The only person who determines our value from this point on is us. Is us. Right? It's it's us. And that all starts with we've been using this, this adage of a crawl, walk, run.
Mhmm.
We all started crawling by understanding that there was a settlement coming and knowing what the settlement would be and just kind of the overarching terms of it. Right? What does it mean? Blah blah blah.
Right? Then we moved to walk, and we started to learn a little bit more about the how to stay out of realtor jail. Right? How to operate within the parameters of your state rules, right, and your board rules.
And I this is another plug for the statewide classes that are happening every single day. If you haven't taken it or watched a recording, do that because this is the basics. This is the walking. This is the thing that you need to know to keep yourself out of realtor jail and to not get fined.
Right? So understand your state and board specific rules. And then finally, my favorite topic, running. How do we take this new world that we live in with uncapped income opportunities and we thrive in it?
And that's the thing I'm the most excited to talk about. So where do you guys wanna start when it comes to buyer role play, when it comes to buyer conversations?
I think I think that there's a lot out there, and I'll throw out some scenarios because, you know, I think that people are going to be running into this, and I would just love to sort of see how you guys would respond to this. But there's a lot of of the news that's out there, and everyone is saying erroneously, hey. It's going to just get cheaper for you to buy a house because buyer commissions just went away. And so that's out there in a big way. How would you guys respond when a when a buyer is saying to you, what are you talking about? CNN says that buyer commissions just went away. I don't need to sign this.
That's a that's a great question, Michael. And, you know, ideally, I think that to me and, I I, by nature, am the educator. So that comes to educating them on the why and why they have to sign it and why we're asking them to sign it. So ideally and I'm gonna drop it in the chat.
A lot of agents may or may not be aware. There are some really awesome tools with NAR, and something like, simple simple one cheaters. However, why they have to sign it, I think is really getting clear on, for the agents on why they have to what they have to say. Right?
And why we are required to sign it. So it's just I think it's the explanation based upon the buyer's, criteria.
I I'd love to before we dive into a full role play, a lot of agents, have reached out to me lately, and they have no clue be what the vernacular of role play is and how to dive in and get started. So I think before we go into objections, I would love just a few minutes to to share with them ideally just a few key techniques around role play is, all of you, it's be intentional in the first fifteen seconds. Make sure to to be genuine, that sets the tone. Ask open ended questions early. Always reconnect to their their why and provide clarity and reassurance on how the buyer broker helps them, by focusing their goals and providing full attention.
You know, that probably didn't answer your question, but ideally, I think if the agents understand that we need really super focus on the why, and and the buyer broker agreement is really just something that we're all required to have signed. But when we keep refocusing them on why they're they're here and why you're having conversations with them, I think it really helps on the whole vernacular.
Christina, I'm not gonna give you a pass.
You gotta take your science teacher hat off for a second. Michael teed you up for an amazing role play, and I know you. So I know that you're not only a science teacher, but you are a absolute killer agent.
Yes.
So let me hear your role play version of all the things that you said that Michael so, Michael, the question was what?
So question is, what are you talking about? Why do I have to sign this? I just I just saw the news last night. They told me that buyer commissions were going away. So now this is a cheaper transaction for me.
So so, Michael, there has been a significant development in the real estate world with a recent settlement involving the National Real Estate Association of Realtors, which is called NAR. You may have heard of it both ways. I want to ensure you that you're fully informed about these changes since they could impact your home buying process. So here is the biggest thing. It's going to increase transparency in how I am paid.
But I want you to be rest assured that I'm gonna do whatever it takes to help you find your home.
Really, truly, Michael, it it's transparency and the fees were paid in a simple way to respond. That probably wasn't simple.
Well, so, Michael, there's a lot of to you. Yeah. Can you ask me the question again?
Sure. So I just I just I just heard on the news that buyer commissions were going away. So I'm super excited because they just told me it was gonna be cheaper for me to buy this house.
Oh, that's awesome. There's a lot of good stuff out on the news right now, and as you can tell, the market has been shifting and changing for the entire year. So so a lot of the stuff that you've heard on the news is actually just a reinforcement of the way that us at TLG Atlanta have always done business. You know, most agents won't tell you this, but you've always had the ability to work without an agent. You've always had the ability to call the listing agent yourself.
You've always had the ability to go out there and and and serve as your own fiduciary during one of the biggest transactions of your life.
Now, Michael, I got a question. Why do you think that ninety eight percent of the people who buy homes choose to have a fiduciary representative on the buyer side?
Well, because it's really complicated to do on my own.
Yeah. It's it well, here's the thing I know about you. You're smarter than the average person who's out there, so I think you could probably figure it out. But let's talk about the general public.
You're exactly right. It's way too complicated and not necessarily something that you'd wanna take on for yourself for one of the biggest transactions of your life. Well, one thing that I've noticed is the reason that people come back to TLG again and again and again is because every time you work with us, you're always gonna save money. So I know that you said that this is the first time that you're gonna be able to save money on the transaction, but I will tell you that ninety percent of the clients that work with us save money every time.
The biggest difference is that I can allow you to save money Yeah. And at the same time, make sure that you are getting the full protection of an elite realtor, making sure that you're there on every aspect of the transaction, making sure that you're getting all the comfort. So the thing is is you've always had access to the best of both worlds, but in the to today's market, you specifically have it even more.
So, David, you know, Michael and I are are relocating together. We're separate because I'm relocating with work. Right? Michael, our children were relocating to Tampa, Florida.
And, you know, my question to you is, how does this help us? It just sounds like it's extra money that we have to pay out of pocket.
Can't we just go directly to the listing agent?
Yeah. So, this is the thing, Christina, is you've always had the ability to go directly to the listing agent. I'll pose to you the same question I posed to Michael earlier. Why do you think ninety eight percent of the people out there choose to work with a fiduciary representative?
Maybe they don't know any better?
Maybe. That's a I I I can run with that. Maybe they don't know any better. Maybe they weren't aware that they could go out there.
Well, it's interesting. I've actually asked all of my clients the same question, and they've all said it's because it's the most important transaction of their life. It's one of the biggest transactions they'll ever take part in. And while they are good at their individual jobs, they understand that myself as a representative of Bell PT and TLG Atlanta, I'm also really good at what I do.
There's things that I know about the market that they just haven't taken time to learn. There's things I know about negotiations that they haven't taken the time to learn. And while I understand you and Michael to be elite level thinkers, and you would probably be just fine navigating yourself, it seems like if you could get the best of both worlds where I could find a way to make sure you guys get the most favorable terms, save some money, and you could have elite level protection, Isn't that something we should consider?
Yes. However, I have a question. Him and I are not local right now.
How does assigning this, impact you on showing our home showing homes right now? Are you able to send us still the virtual tours and things like we did on our last relocation?
Yeah. I'm glad you asked that question because here's the thing.
Anytime I'm working as a service in a service capacity for you guys, any ways I'm showing you properties, we are going to need a board specific approved document that says that I have permission to do that on your behalf. But as you know, part of the TLG Atlanta value wall is that we're a full service shop. So you wanna see a home at nine PM, you wanna see a home at nine AM, If they let me in at two AM, I'd do it for you. But because of that, we need to discuss this on the front end to make sure we have the proper documentation.
So when you're at work and you get an hour at lunch and you see that amazing house and Michael says, David, we gotta see it today, time is always the the essence. So if we go ahead and take the opportunity to talk through this right now and get this form signed, it means you've got me whenever you need me, which is part of that TLG Atlanta promise. And on the flip side, because I know you've got another question we're gonna get to in just a second, but I wanna make sure that you understand that the best part about working with me and working with TLG Atlanta is that all of our agreements are one hundred percent satisfaction guaranteed.
So signing this document right now means we can work on the fly. And if the minute you think that I'm not answering my phone or responding to text or you find another agent who's better than me, it's not gonna happen. But in the event that it does, we tear up the agreement and we move on. So now you can save money, have access to the best in the business, be able to work in the time of the essence format, be fully protected, and have an agreement that's one hundred percent satisfaction guaranteed.
Now if that's not a deal of a lifetime or if that isn't the the best thing you've heard, tell me why.
Well, so, Michael, what you know, we we need to sell our house in Atlanta, but we're moving to Tampa. So I, you know, David, can you help us with both? How do these forms impact us with needing to sell our home and relocating?
Yeah. No. So for for example, I'm the best in Atlanta. Right? We've talked about that.
You've read my pamphlet. It says it right there. David Lewis is the absolute best in Atlanta.
That that's why we that's why we called you. We got re you know, referred to you.
Yeah. So on my end, I'm gonna be the listing specialist that helps you get rid of your home here, but I'm part of a network of agents. And I actually know an agent out there. You're actually I actually I was shocked that she had a, ability to work within it.
She doesn't take on a whole lot of clients. She's super selective. Her name is Christina Griffin, and she's in the Tampa area. So I've actually got Christina to agree to take you on as a buyer, as a buyer.
Right? So here's the thing. You may or may not love Christina, but what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna set you up on a conversation. But I do wanna go ahead and set the stage that when it comes to buying homes in Tampa, you're gonna need to look into signing an agreement with Christina as well because that's the thing that's gonna offer you the same level of a great protection that you have here in another state.
You know, I think those these are some great things, and I'm just being cognizant of the time to make sure that we get some questions answered here. And I think that there's really, that that whole thing of creating that value, right, of knowing I mean, I I would probably just explain that the, the news doesn't always get it right. And they they broker commission the buyer's commission doesn't go away. It just got decoupled.
That means that different parties are compensating whomever is representing them in the transaction.
And, and the buyer broker agreement could be as simple as one property, one day, one hour, or it could be an infinite amount of time until you find the home that you'd like to find. And to your point, David, it's sort of like, unless there's something that, if you find somebody else that you think is better, we'll rip it up. So there's absolutely no commitment to it, but we're we are now defining what our relationship start, and we're we'll be able to sort of do all of that.
One of the other things to really consider is the fact that not all buyer agents are the same.
Right?
We all have almost twenty years of experience on on this call a piece.
And when you start looking at that, do you think my value of having twenty years of experience to get you the best price, for your home at the best terms is the same as someone who's just got newly licensed? And I think there's something that you can sort of show of value from the start and know what they're paying for.
Yeah. No. I think you're exactly right. And, guys, if you take anything away from those role plays, the mindset was every single objection, I made it about the client.
Yep. They don't wanna hear about NAR. They don't wanna hear about why you have to have an agreement signed. They wanna know how it benefits them to Michael's point.
So as long as we're always using that filter, whether you're a veteran twenty year agent or you're a brand new agent, you build your value wall, and you make sure it's always articulated at them and for them and then benefit of them.
It's so true.
Let's see if there's any questions. If you guys want specific questions, I know this is our first full day under our new norm. So, you know, it started yesterday, and I know that people have been texting like crazy about all of these things. And, by the way, next week, starting tomorrow, we're all gonna be doing a lot of different role playing and checking in with specific questions that you guys might have had out there in the field. We wanna make sure that whatever it is that you guys are facing, we're addressing for you so that you, you thrive in this new industry, in this new normal. So we're gonna be here with you all of next week right up until our closing ceremony on Friday, where we'll, the majority of us will be in Orlando.
But that is, that's really where we want to be able to give you the most value, the most information, and the greatest toolkit for you to continue to thrive.
I did create just a simple PDF.
David always calls me the educator. I am by default. So I I love love to educate and train. A lot of you, again, may not know what role play is.
The way that David and I just did that ease of conversation, I highly recommend you guys to find a role play partner, someone that is in your world. Again, it could be someone you know or different techniques, and I just wanted to share a few tips with you. As we get into these buyer, role plays and the objections and the things that we're sharing, some of you may again have never role played before in your life. So, it definitely it's just a way for you to, understand kind of the the back and forth and the why around it.
So, Tina just came in with a direct message to the host and panelist, and, yeah, thank you for the the science teacher PDF. You're the best, Christina.
Role play a lead that comes in that doesn't know you.
Right?
So, we did a couple of these on an earlier session.
I think the easiest scenario would be getting someone to come in, like, at an open house. Right? Someone who walks into an open house.
K. I can be the agent. Who wants to be the buyer?
Go ahead, David. You'd be the buyer. I'm the buyer.
Alright. Hey, David. So nice meeting you.
Yeah. It's been great.
And we're facing killer open house.
Yeah.
So I I appreciate you coming. This is, my listing. I just, put it on the market.
What do you think?
It's cool. I mean, you know, it's fine.
Okay.
I'm just looking.
Alright. Are you working with an agent right now? No. Okay. Looking to buy?
Yeah. I'm I'm I'm in a stranger's house on a Sunday afternoon.
Well, have you, decided what your time frame is?
You know, I'm open.
Okay.
Can you share with me what you're looking for? Our team, has pretty extensive marketing and prospecting in this particular neighborhood and would love to just help you find your home.
Yeah. See, I've I've been to open houses. I I know this whole drill, but here here's what I really need. I need to get into the neighbor's house that's for sale.
Okay. I've seen this house. I don't love it. The neighbor's house seems to be exactly what I'm looking for, so I'd really like to go there.
Can you show that to me?
So, David, I have a absolutely. So we're gonna have to get a hold of the neighbor.
I'm going to need to, get you to sign what's called a touring agreement to be able to preview the property.
So let's dive into let's dive into what that What's a what's a touring agreement?
Yeah. I In the in the past, I've, I've just been able to the agents have been able to show me other homes.
Yeah. So the neighbor's home is not listed on the market. So we're gonna need to No. It is.
There's a for sale sign in front of it.
Oh, there there is a for sale sign. Okay.
So, what the touring agreement is, it is we are, there is a new rule with NAR. And what that What's NAR?
NAR. It's Sunday, guys.
National Association of Realtors.
So what that looks like is, there is a new rule that we need to be, in we need to disclose our commissions upfront.
And, we Commissions?
I'm not paying you anything.
K.
You're just gonna we're just gonna go see this house. What's happening here?
So in order for me to show you the home, there is a form that I need to be able to have you sign, and that form is going to allow me to be more transparent in what the fees are, and what those fees are.
Fees.
Fees. Yes. Yes. So so before I, break out the form, David, I have a I have a question for you. So you wanna see the neighbor's home, and that may or may not be a fit for you.
So right now, there is something called a, buyer broker agreement that allows me to work on your behalf.
No. We just met. I don't wanna work with you.
Okay.
I I don't need I don't need a a formal agreement. I just wanna see the neighbor's house.
Okay. So in order to see the neighbor's home, whether it's my me showing you or another agent, this form discloses our relationship, and that that relationship is me opening the door for you to be able to see that home. And in doing so, it's gosh.
See, he's stumping me.
So Jump in.
I'll jump in.
Yes, please.
So, David, hey. Listen. Yeah. I I understand that you're sort of, like, just wanted to see the neighbor's house.
I'd love to show it to you. There's a brand new law that happened actually yesterday. You may not be aware of it. It's, it's it's it's it's, there's a new law that came down that was effective August seventeenth.
So anything that comes after that, there's a brand new normal. No agent can show you anything without us having a buyer's broker arrangement agreement, and that could be just me showing you that one house. And if you don't like it or you don't like me, we go our separate ways. If you do like it and you want me to continue to represent you, then we go in and I get you the best deal that's even possible here.
So it's just, it's just something that we just need to do now. It's, it's a new law. There's no way around it. We're all sort of, like, finding our new normal.
So we can go in with just this one property. Let's go see the neighbor's house.
Okay. So is so this just this allows us to get into the property, but then if we don't like each other, we can pair it up?
So if we if we this allows no. This is actually me showing you the house. So if you do like it, I'm still representing you for this property.
If you That's fair.
Yeah. So this is where, so we can start right here. If we don't like each other past that, that's all cool. If we do, we'll go grab a beer and figure out what you really need.
Oh, I love that. Alright. Let's kick these people out of the open house and go check out the neighbor's house. Let's do it.
He just needed another Thank you.
He just needed another New Yorker.
He was being rough.
Yes. Yes. You yes. He was. And I was wanting to get all touchy feely.
So So I and I I was trying to get to the point Yeah.
Of, like Mhmm. You'd Christina is a she's someone that loves the people she works with. Absolutely. And that's important.
But, guys, in an open house, we don't have a lot of time for trust and rapport. Mhmm. Right? Like, you're trying to get someone into that next mechanism.
And as RP said and as I've said in multiple calls Mhmm.
This is a perfect example to push a nonexclusive showing agreement as a crutch.
And then and then I love what Michael said because he said, look. It's nonexclusive. If you don't like the house, then we'll go grab a beer, and we'll talk about your home search. So every time you use what we're calling a crutch as a nonexclusive agreement or a showing agreement, make sure that we set the expectation that, oh, by the way, it's time for us.
Afterwards, I wanna sit down and get to know a little bit more about your search. I wanna get to know a little bit more about you, and I'm gonna have to move because, look, guys, I don't usually sign nonexclusive agreements. The the David Lewis philosophy is only exclusive buyer brokerage agreements for thirty days, but I need to earn that with you. So we'll talk about that later.
You and I know we're at at the minute, but, you know, that the way that dialogue went what was so solid just like you get your online lead calls that I would use the same exact objection is, you know, you called on one two three Apple Street, can we go see it? Here is here is what I need you to sign, get in front of them and build that rapport, but it's really the same exact thing. So amazing solid dialogue and objections. Use that everybody that listens to this on on your online leads as well because a lot of you get those daily, and and I've been hearing that more than ever is, you know, the people you don't know, how to be able to actually get them to go see a house. So a perfect objection handler.
Thank you, guys.
I can't wait to get you on the next one.
That's right. Hey. Hey. Stump stump me if you can.
We should we should do that, like, rapid role play stumping. Yeah.
Yeah. Here here here's here's the thing, guys. You saw two different styles. You saw Christina's style, and you saw Michael's style. Right? Michael and I speak more of the same language. So Christina has to make sure she's flexing her Michael style, which she has the capability to do so as do we all to match my style because we're always matching the person we're talking to.
Yeah.
Yeah. You guys were awesome. Yes. It's four thirty three, Sunday afternoon.
I'll see you guys at seven. We got mindset going into the week on what you need to do and focus on. So I I, look forward to, you know, seeing you guys.
You're not having David on the call.
Well, listen. I'm all about mindset training and education. So it it it it's all good. We're I'm I'm gonna bring it at seven o'clock.
I love it. You're awesome.
Yeah.
Thank you, guys.
Thank you. A lot of fun. Soon. Yeah. Bye, guys. Bye bye.