Podcast with Russell Shaw, Part Three: A certain convocation of politic Realtors

by Greg Swann

Suburban Phoenix Real Estate Broker

And this is the third of our podcasts with mega-producing Realtor and BloodhoundBlog contributor Russell Shaw. This segment is a freeform colloquy between Russell, my wife and business partner, Cathleen Collins, and myself. We hit a vast array of topics, including Russell regaling us with a story about how he once confounded 18,000 “stoned hippies.”

The language in this podcast is significantly saltier than the other two, so a word to the wise should be sufficient.

This podcast tends to roam all over the internet, so here are some links you can use to roam with us:

Thanks again to Russell for sharing so much of his thinking and his experience with us. Cathy and I delight in his company, but the man is such a geyser of great ideas that no one can spend time with him and not come away enriched. If I might presume to offer advice to you as a listener, I think you might be profited by revisiting these podcasts again and again. I know we will…

Nota bene: Mike Price of Mike’s Corner taught us an easier way to subscribe to our podcasts, either directly (for faster results) or through the iTunes store.

The Russell Shaw podcasts: Parts I, II and III

More to howl about...

17 Comments

Steve Jagger says:

Great work. I thought I was going to listen for a few minutes… next thing you know it is 40 minutes later. 🙂 Adding the corresponding links make it easy to follow along.

January 27, 2007 — 11:03 am
Comment by post author

Greg Swann says:

> I thought I was going to listen for a few minutes… next thing you know it is 40 minutes later.

Indeed. Russell Shaw is a walking encyclopedia of real estate marketing.

January 27, 2007 — 12:52 pm
Norm Fisher says:

Thank you Russell, Greg and Cathleen. I enjoyed every minute of all three podcasts. It’s a treat to get a glimpse inside the mind of mega producer like Russell.

By the way Greg, I also appreciated your phone chat with Brian. The coversational flow of each of these casts makes them a pleasure to listen to. I would love to hear more from you.

January 27, 2007 — 6:18 pm
Jay Reifert says:

Paradigm.

Russell Shaw repeats the mantra that is drummed into virtually every licensee who has ever walked the earth.

“You have to list to last.” Did he say exactly that? I don’t recall…but that’s the essence of a big part of one of his podcasts.

He also says you’re lucky to be able to juggle three buyers at the same time…max five.

Is it any wonder that this business is so listing centric, and those with a “list to last” mindset can’t understand why true buyer agents are so frikkin mad at the system they have created? The system that is rigged with trade restraining, buyer rights stealing concepts, like Realtor procuring cause?

You’re wrong, Russ.

I’m a sole proprietor broker with no agents. I am an exclusive buyer agent. I don’t list property or represent seller interests. In my best year ever, which was in 2004, I juggled seventeen buyer clients at one time. Seventeen. (And they were all well served, too.) That year, I represented thirty buyer clients for a volume of about 6.5 Million dollars and fee income of just under $200,000.00 . NO LISTINGS.

Not bragging…just stating facts.

If there was a way to spread clients out over the course of a year, rather than be subject to time of year peaks and valleys, I could certainly do double that, without even hiring an assistant. (And can certainly do more yet, if I were to hire an assistant.)

So, while I did thoroughly enjoy the rest of that particular podcast, in spite of the fact that I’m not your target audience–and will probably listen to the others, too–it would be nice if you could at least recognize how your listing centric paradigm limits your worldview.

You get a chance, you can learn a great deal about what I do by listening to my chaptered audio presentation, at:

http://www.buy-madison-real-estate.com/hear_the_difference.html

You and I are in entirely different trades, Russ. Entirely different trades…

Jay Reifert, Broker/Owner
Excel-Exclusive Buyer Agency
Madison, Wisconsin

http://www.real-reform.org/pc.pdf

January 27, 2007 — 7:37 pm
Dustin says:

Great interview… Like Steve, I got sucked in for a much longer time than originally anticipated! 🙂 Thanks for the kind words about me and Galen!

January 27, 2007 — 9:29 pm
Brian Brady says:

It’s easy to get sucked in to the podcast. Greg, Cathleen, and Russell have a nice conversation about the business, blogging, and marketing in this segment.

The meal is in the beginning of the podcast but the dessert is served up well in the last part. “Russell-Unplugged” should be the tile of this one.

Thanks to Messrs. Shaw and Swan and the lovely Cathleen for a great three hours.

January 27, 2007 — 10:40 pm
Comment by post author

Greg Swann says:

> Thanks for the kind words about me and Galen!

Truly, none so deserving. The idea of benevolent spirits echoes through all three segments of the interview, and you two gentlemen are splendid examples of this.

January 27, 2007 — 11:09 pm
Comment by post author

Greg Swann says:

> The meal is in the beginning of the podcast but the dessert is served up well in the last part. “Russell-Unplugged” should be the tile of this one.

As it worked out, the third segment was composed from bookends of the total interview. The first 14 minutes or so was from the start of the recording, with the rest coming at the end. The themes and the conversational flow are what united them, as compared with the other two segments, which were closer to an extended interview.

January 27, 2007 — 11:15 pm
jf.sellsius says:

Very informative Russell. Experience is indeed the best teacher. Being from NYC, where buyers’ brokers are as rare as rain in the desert, I am interested to hear about Jay Reifert’s trade as well.

Greg, it’s nice to see you move past the written word to embrace the power of podcasting. The written word just cannot pick up the nuance, inflection and tone of an interesting speaker. I agree with Norm concerning the conversational flow. I might not have lasted reading through a transcript of the talk.

January 27, 2007 — 11:48 pm
Brian Brady says:

“The themes and the conversational flow are what united them, as compared with the other two segments, which were closer to an extended interview.”

This is truly required listening for every new licensee. It will be for all new loan originators at World Wide Credit Corp. Great work, Greg and Cathleen and mega-kudos to Russell Shaw for his benevolence.

January 28, 2007 — 4:32 pm
Jay Reifert says:

Not that anyone would ever know the difference, but I just ran across something and need to correct a mistatement that I made above.

2003 was the $6.5 Million year. 2004 was $5.7 Million.

Time flies…

Jay Reifert, Broker/Owner
Excel-Exclusive Buyer Agency
Madison, Wisconsin

January 28, 2007 — 6:47 pm
Brian Brady says:

“2003 was the $6.5 Million year. 2004 was $5.7 Million.”

Respectable, nonetheless.

I think you and Russell do have two entirely different businesses. You seem to be doing a bang up job in your niche, Russell in his.

You provide great information, also

January 28, 2007 — 9:46 pm
Kris Berg says:

Thank you, Russell (and, of course, Cathleen and Greg) for taking the time to put together all three amazing podcasts. I am going through a bit of a withdrawal period now. I have gotten just too accustomed to the melodic musak of Russell (f-bombs and all) in the background while I work!

Fabulous stuff, and our business plan has consequently been turned on its head. I may owe you royalties soon.

January 29, 2007 — 2:02 pm
Jeff Brown says:

What I’ve observed in almost 40 years as first a home agent, then (since ’76) an investment guy.

1. Those who represent only buyers generally do so to avoid rejection and a higher income. 🙂

2. While a hard working buyer’s agent can do 30 transactions, his listing counter-part is doing 50-100 with only a part time paper shuffling assistant.

3. The above listing agent doesn’t work weekends wasting time showing property.

4. Everyone in the market comes to him – including the buyer’s agent. Generally speaking, the buyer’s agent is the listing guy’s concubine.

5. No buyer’s agent ever admitted why he/she refuses to be a listing agent. See #1 above.

6. Listing agents continue making money while skiing in Tahoe for a week. This is because the buyer’s agents are all home showing their listings.

Life is good.

March 19, 2007 — 1:34 pm
Scott Schulte says:

Very impressive….. I noticed something about everyone in the pod cast… a positive attitude about what you are doing… Thank you for your thoughts and information… I’m new to this business. This is my first business, and has changed my life for the better in so many ways especially more time with my family.

April 23, 2007 — 9:11 pm
Comment by post author

Greg Swann says:

> I noticed something about everyone in the pod cast… a positive attitude about what you are doing

You bet. Stick around. Our other podcasts, plus a great deal of our other content, betray the same attitude.

April 23, 2007 — 10:47 pm
Scott Schulte says:

Thanks greg I’m getting hooked!

May 6, 2007 — 1:54 pm