New Client Welcome Erick Carpenter

Erick is originally from Chicago and considers it his second home, although he has also lived in Milwaukee, and Ohio. Erick has a BA in Psychology and a Minor in Real Estate. He moved California in 1996 to attend Biola University in La Mirada where he earned his Masters in Theological Studies. He has been married for almost 19 years, and is the proud parent of four children. Erick and his family are 16-year residents of Diamond Bar. He has always been involved in Real Estate and Church, even as a child. His father was a Pastor and worked in Real Estate in Chicago. The Carpenter Family business is still successfully operating since 1972 (that's over 43 years!), located on 111th & Halsted Street (better known as Route 66). He enjoys motivational and public speaking at his church and other venues. You can learn more about Erick here.

Allison: How did you hear about us and what motivated you to call us?

Erick: Great question. I heard about you guys through Real Geeks and I listen to them quite often. That got me interested in what you guys do because everyone I talk to that has interviewed with Jeff Manson or Frank, they say that their business has been affected in a positive way. They all said that it increased their dollar amounts, and that’s a good way to grab someone’s attention. I could tell that the clients being interviewed were sincere, and that nothing from them was canned. When I went online and checked out the company on GlassDoor, I saw how open the company was, and I liked the integrity. I knew it was something that I wanted to employ in my arsenal. I’m excited to be part of it right now.

Allison: Awesome. Can you summarize where you’re at in your business right now or talk about some of your business goals for 2016?

Erick: Good question. We just finished the first quarter and it was not the best quarter, and that’s what made me push for something new. I was doing a lot of the MoJo dialer, cold calling, and door knocking. I had meaningful conversations, but nothing ever materialized, so I knew I needed to reach out to more people. I have three deals on the table right now, and this is my first year in real estate by the way. I’ve been investing for a while, but I just got my broker’s license. Last year when I came to Berkshire Hathaway, I did 8 transactions but seven of them fell out of escrow. I would’ve had 15 listings in six months if that didn’t happen, so I would have been on track to do 30 deals my first year. I know that’s pretty good, but I wanted to do somewhere around fifty transactions. I know I have high goals, but I want to be encouraged by my success. At my business planning meeting, I sat down with the manager of the company, and I committed to doing 25-30 deals, and I know that means I need 5-6 appointments per month, at the minimum. So I want to do 30 deals minimum, but I would love to get to 90. I know I have the determination and wherewithal to do it.

Allison: What are you doing to market to your database right now? What is and isn’t working for you?

Erick: Well, for my database, I’m sending cards and it’s hit and miss because they aren’t going out to everyone. I’m also part of Keeping Current Matters and I forward that to my database, so they get that a few times throughout the month. I get a lot of comments on it, but nobody has called me for business. My picture is there and the content is there, but it doesn’t really separate me as an expert.

Allison: Absolutely. So why hire us and not try to do this yourself?

Erick: (laughs) First of all, I want to be able to hire the best, and I don’t want to have to do anything. I feel that you guys are experts, and I’ve looked at a lot of different programs. I just feel good about Vyral and I want to hire someone that I know that I can depend on. It would be a waste of my time to go through the learning curve for all of this stuff, especially at the expense of missed business. I know it will take time to pick up, but I’m committed to seeing it through. I want a partnership, and as you guys get better, I will get better. I’m a salesperson and a counselor, not a marketer. That’s why I need you guys.

Allison: What results do you expect? Or what does success look like to you in our program?

Erick: To quantify success would be hard. I know that quantity will come with quality content. I want my clients to learn something new about real estate and the current market. There’s a lot of misinformation about the real estate market, so to have someone they know and trust share that insight with them on a regular basis is huge. But how would I quantify success? I’d love to say that the marketing would help me close 2 deals per month, but I know there will be time in between when this happens. I’ll just have to wait and see, but I know it should make a difference, I just can’t put a number on it.