Living the Florida Lifestyle has always been Sarah Rothstein’s vision of the perfect place to call home. In 2021, Sarah made her dreams come true and moved to Fleming Island in a Leap of Faith. Since then, she has been so happy that she pledged to help others move to their dream home by becoming one of the best real estate agents in America.
Sarah works mainly within Fleming Island, Florida, specializing in finding the best properties within the county, as she plays an active role in her community and gets involved in her clients’ lives in a positive manner. As a Mathematician with extensive experience in sales, Sarah has risen to become a widely respected real estate solo agent who was able to succeed in her real estate career while also being a mother.
Tune in to this episode of Real Estate excellence to learn about Sarah’s story and her secrets to success!
[00:00 - 06:40] Sarah’s Journey from Math Degree to Real Estate Excellence
- Sarah Rothstein is from Springfield, Georgia, and graduated from Georgia Southern with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.
- At 18-22 years old, Sarah did not have a clear vision for her future career
- Sarah's parents did not have college educations, but her father served in the Marine Corps
- After graduating college, Sarah was unsure of what to do with her degree and had an interesting road that brought her to real estate.
[06:40 - 13:05] Sarah's Journey from Environmental Testing Lab to Real Estate Agent
- Sarah’s first job out of college was at an environmental testing lab, which she found to be tedious and unfulfilling.
- After her testing lab job, Sarah worked in pharmaceutical sales for 15 years, doing cold calling and selling hard-to-find medications.
- There were parallels between prospecting and cold calling in real estate and pharmaceutical sales, which made her decide to become a real estate agent as an entry-level job
[13:06 - 19:39] How One Woman Balanced a Full-Time Job and Real Estate to Achieve Success
- How Sarah decided to take a 1-year online real estate course while pregnant.
- She asked Kim Nap, her realtor if she could be successful in real estate in Fleming Island and Jacksonville.
- She interviewed several brokerages before deciding on Berkshire Hathaway.
- Berkshire Hathaway required a month-long training program of 5 days a week for 3-4 hours per day.
- Sarah realized that real estate required full-time dedication and self-investment.
[19:39 - 26:38] Training and Networking for Real Estate Agents
- Ask for references from experienced agents when interviewing a brokerage.
- Evaluate the technology and tools offered by the brokerage.
- Consider the culture and training opportunities provided.
- Take advantage of conferences and conventions to network and learn.
- Look up successful agents in the same market to learn from their experiences.
[26:38 - 33:28] Discovering the Potential of Real Estate: How Sarah Learned to Love Her Business
- Why collaborating with other agents is important for success.
- Getting advice from outside of your area to get an outsider's perspective.
- Ask other people's opinions when making consumer purchases.
- Why real estate agents should collaborate and help each other out.
- Agents become their business and need to enjoy what they do.
[33:29 - 40:12] Building Relationships and Strengthening Connections
- The key skills for an ideal real estate agent include relationship building, work ethic, and coachability.
- Building relationships with clients, other real estate agents, and people in your neighborhood is essential to success in the business.
- Strategies for building relationships include door knocking, joining local recreation committees, friend requesting people on social media, sending notes, and doing drop-bys.
[40:12 - 46:58] How Real Estate Agents Can Supercharge Their Path to Excellence
- Why building relationships with neighbors and being part of the community is key for a real estate agent’s success.
- Work ethic, relationship building, and time blocking are essential skills for real estate agents
- Real estate agents should attend training and meetings to build relationships and stay on top of their industry.
- Being mindful that everyone needs a place to live is key to developing relationships and generating leads.
[46:58 - 53:31] How Door Knocking and Open Houses Have Changed Real Estate
- Perfecting the follow-up after the sale.
- Digging deeper into relationships.
- Keeping in touch and deepening relationships over time.
- Checking in with clients and keeping them informed on market value.
- Door knocking in own community to build rapport.
- Open houses to meet new leads.
- Houses selling fast during the past two years, so open houses are even more advantageous.
[53:31 - 01:00:06] Perfecting the Open House and Finding Your Groove
- Open houses are important for real estate agents to do in order to attract buyers and demonstrate their professionalism.
- Professional photos are important for the listing as they will be seen by potential buyers online forever.
- Agents should focus on one or two lead generation methods and give them time to work before diversifying.
- Agents should ask questions and talk to other agents to learn different methods of lead generation.
- A coach can help an agent reach the next level of success in their career.
[01:00:06 - 01:07:06] Mentorship and Future Real Estate Investments
- Reaching out to experienced agents and mentors is key to success in real estate.
- Jacksonville is on the radar as a top city for growth across the country.
- 2023 is predicted to be a good year with lots of out-of-state buyers.
- Clay County schools are highly rated, and there is a lot of potential for growth in the area.
- Investing in Clay County now can lead to appreciation value over the next 5-10 years due to the First Coast Expressway.
[01:07:07 - 01:13:44] Discover the Hidden Gem of Green Cove Springs
- Prices in Clay County are still very low.
- Green Cove Springs is a hidden gem.
- Navy Yard still there from the post-WWII era.
- Expressway going in soon, making the area more accessible.
- Social media presence is important for success.
- Focus on platforms you enjoy and that comes naturally to you.
[01:13:44 - 01:20:13] Growing Your Network: Is It More Important Who You Know or What You Know?
- Real estate agents don't have to go to college to become successful.
- Networking is important in real estate, as people will resonate with you.
- Having an assistant and a dedicated transaction coordinator is key to success.
- Shonda Ka Panero from Berkshire Hathaway is a great example of someone who has been successful in the business for a long time.
- Rustin's favorite family activity in northeast Florida is going to the beach or springs, exploring new restaurants, and paddleboarding.
- It is important to know both who you know and what you know for success in real estate.
[01:20:13 - 01:22:39] Connect with the Best of the Best and Take Your Real Estate Skills to the Next Level!
- What you know and who you know both make a difference.
- You don't have to go to a class for everything. Sometimes, the right people can teach it to you.
- Connect with the best of the best and take your skills to the next level by joining Tracy Hayes' podcast community.
- Post reviews on social media to show appreciation for heartfelt comments.
Quotes
"Real estate is a marathon, not a sprint." -Sarah Rothstein
“Showing up, being committed, and surrounding yourself with the proper environment is the key to getting your mindset right to succeed in real estate.” -Sarah Rothstein
“You don’t need to bring your work into your personal relationships, but as a real estate agent, you’re always on the clock. That needs you always need to be mindful of whether someone could need your services.” -Sarah Rothstein
“As long as you double down, do the work, and put yourself out there, 2023 is going to be a great year for real estate.” -Sarah Rothstein
Be sure to follow Sarah on social media to make contact with her and learn more about her real estate business:
https://www.facebook.com/SarahRothsteinRealtor
https://www.instagram.com/sarah.rothstein_realtorjax/
Check out Sarah’s business page:
https://www.homesweethomejax.com/
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