Be a Marketer with Dave Charest

Be a Marketer with Dave Charest Trailer Bonus Episode 95 Season 1

Your Real Estate Marketing Playbook: A Full Recap with Stephanie, Dave, and Kelsi

Your Real Estate Marketing Playbook: A Full Recap with Stephanie, Dave, and KelsiYour Real Estate Marketing Playbook: A Full Recap with Stephanie, Dave, and Kelsi

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In this final episode of Be A Marketer - Real Estate edition, hosts Dave Charest, Stephanie Alfonso, and co-host Kelsi Carter, recap key lessons from their six-episode deep dive into marketing strategies for real estate professionals. But these insights aren’t just for real estate, business owners across industries can apply these takeaways to their own marketing efforts.

From the power of education-based marketing to leveraging AI and automation, Dave, Stephanie, and Kelsi reflect on the most impactful advice shared by expert guests, including Marki Lemons Rhyal, Christine George, Verl Workman, Ian Hoover, and Anthony Lamacchia.

They discuss:
✔️ Why giving away knowledge builds trust and authority
✔️ The importance of owning your niche and branding with intention
✔️ How to delegate effectively to scale your business
✔️ The role of culture in team-building and retention
✔️ Why embracing AI and automation is crucial for modern marketing

Whether you're in real estate or another industry, this episode provides actionable marketing strategies to help you grow your business with confidence.

Additional Resources:

Meet Today's Hosts: Dave Charest, Stephanie Alfonso, & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact

🎤 What Dave does: Dave is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, He helps small business owners understand and utilize online marketing. Dave co-hosts the Be A Marketer podcast, offering practical advice and inspirational stories.

💡 Key quote: “Not everything you do is going to work. Not everything you do is going to be ‘the right thing to do’. And I think that's the mentality that you really need to come at this with — marketing as a whole is a learning experience.”

👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter | Pinterest

🚀 What Stephanie does: She is the Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact.

💡 Key quote: “People do business with people they like, they know, and they trust. So we need to be intentional about getting people to like, know, and trust us."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

🎤 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and co-host of the Be A Marketer podcast. She loves being deeply involved with projects, especially working with different types of creatives.

💡 Key quote: "It's really the trial and error, but also just looking at your data and then improving and enhancing so that it matches."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | X | Pinterest

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

What is Be a Marketer with Dave Charest?

As a small business owner, you need to be a lot of things to make your business go—but you don't have to be a marketer alone. Join host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator, as they explore what it really takes to market your business. Even if marketing's not your thing! You'll hear from small business leaders just like you along with industry experts as they share their stories, challenges, and best advice to get real results. This is the Be a Marketer podcast! New episodes every Thursday!

Dave Charest:

On today's episode, you'll hear the key takeaways from our real estate conversations. This is the Be a Marketer podcast, real estate edition.

Dave Charest:

My name is Dave Sherest, director of small business success at Constant Contact. And I help small business owners like you make sense of online marketing. And on this podcast, we'll explore what it really takes to market your business, even if marketing's not your thing. No jargon, no hype, just real stories to inspire you and practical advice you can act on. So remember, friend, you can be a marketer.

Dave Charest:

And at Constant Contact, we're here to help. Well, hello, friend, and thanks for joining us for the final episode in our limited series of real estate podcast. That means who do we have? We've got Kelsey Carter. Hi, Kelsey.

Kelsi Carter:

Hi, Dave.

Dave Charest:

We've got Stephanie Alfonso. Hello, Steph.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Hello. Hello.

Dave Charest:

So, wow, here we are. The the final episode and at least we'll we'll see what we come up with for the future. But at least for now, this is the sixth, the final episode in our series of real estate focused episodes. Steph, we did it. Thank you so much for your help and your guidance in all of this and and finding some amazing guests for us.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. It was awesome. So so thankful that we got to do this. Honestly, it was kind of like a passion project for me. You know, I'm passionate about the industry and helping real estate agents become better marketers.

Stephanie Alfonso:

To date, guys, I don't think I've ever met a real estate professional that was like, you know what? I love marketing so much. I'm gonna become a real estate agent. Like, has not happened. Right?

Stephanie Alfonso:

Quite quite the contrary. Most real estate professionals, when they go into the industry, it is the bane of their existence. Right?

Dave Charest:

Well, and the same for what we see with just our small business owners in general. Right? So I think there's a common theme across whatever industry that you're in.

Stephanie Alfonso:

A %. Yeah. Yeah. So I wanna flip the narrative, and I really feel like the past five episodes, we've been able to get some insights behind the scenes of some rock stars in our industry. Hopefully, we got to empower some of our listeners to be like, alright.

Stephanie Alfonso:

I'm gonna do this one thing, or I'm gonna do these two things this year, and it's gonna make a difference in my business. So I'm hoping we made a difference. I certainly love the conversations we had, and it made a difference for me and for my my own learning. Super awesome.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Yeah. Agreed. And so I think what we decided to do here on this final episode is really take a moment, because I think you're right. There were so many things that did come up that were, one, specific to the industry, but also applicable across industries.

Dave Charest:

And, you know, I think that's one of the things that I learned is I think as you look at all of this, it's really, yes, you do have the nuances, but then the concepts and the theory, right? It goes into what you can use and apply no matter what industry that you're in. And so what we decided we would do here today is we each came, and we don't know what our answers are, but we're gonna go through each episode. If you didn't get a chance to catch them out, you should because these will dive deeper into those things. But we're gonna pick our favorite kind of takeaway or key thing that we got from each of these episodes.

Dave Charest:

So we each have one of those for each episode that we had with our guests. And we're gonna just talk through them a bit and see if maybe we've matched some, maybe we haven't, but I I think it'll be good stuff for you to hear. Like, hey, these are the things that as folks that have looked at this from a a marketing lens, you specifically in real estate stuff, Kelsey, of with a a newbie's eye as well, and then kind of how I've been looking at some of this stuff. This will give you some highlighted things that, you know what? These are things that I should be looking at in my business no matter what that is so that you can maybe prioritize some things maybe that you wanna do in your marketing journey as you grow with your business as well.

Dave Charest:

So sound good?

Stephanie Alfonso:

Sounds great. Awesome. Cool. I'm so excited. I it was so hard to pick just one.

Dave Charest:

I know. I know. It was very difficult, but

Stephanie Alfonso:

sometimes I We're working a broad that I chose.

Dave Charest:

And sometimes you have to be specific. Right? You have to pick sometimes. Think this is one of the things that you learn as a business owner is that Right. You're gonna have to make tons of decisions, and sometimes you just have to make a decision.

Dave Charest:

And so we just chose. We chose. So I'm gonna start with Kelsi. Let's hear the the Kelsi's wonderful voice here. Episode one, Marki Lemons Rhyal.

Dave Charest:

Amazing conversation. What was your big takeaway from that episode?

Kelsi Carter:

Yeah. So I've had a lot, but I think for the main one for Marki is just something that you don't hear a lot of people say is giving away your knowledge. And I know that she had an overall theme of consistency, but that really stood out for me because you have a lot of people, especially in business that once they find something that works, they like to hold on to it for themselves and kinda like gatekeep that. But Markey is very pro. I will show you and teach you everything I know because I want you to be able to do it.

Kelsi Carter:

And that's also a way for her to build trust and also positions herself as an expert to other people in the

Kelsi Carter:

industry. So and that can be applied to, like, her marketing, her coaching. So I just thought that was something that was really valuable and something you don't hear often.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Oh, yeah. I agree with that. That was something so great. Well, I forgot what the quote was.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Something that she said, if you've learned something, give it away or something like that. But, yeah, I love that. And she exudes that just in her everyday.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. I mean, that was something to not to jump ahead, but also something we heard from Anthony. Right? You have to be educating. And I think I think maybe this is the big thing just in general when you think about what marketing is.

Dave Charest:

And I think particularly when you look at what marketing is today, I think there is a difference between advertising, which is really about kinda getting a message in front of people, whereas marketing is really about communicating with people and building those relationships, and then hopefully driving them towards some type of action. But when you think of that, it is really about education is the way in. Right? Because you're trying to help people solve a problem, help people with a challenge. And in that education and sharing your knowledge with them, you're also demonstrating your expertise, which allows you to prove out and even sell yourself to people.

Dave Charest:

So like when people do reach out to you and and maybe want you to hire you or want to hire you or whatever the case may be is they're already sold because you've already shown them how you think. You've already shown them how you solve problems. Right? And they're bought into your ideas and your ways of doing things.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. Anthony said when you educate, you attract. And I think he was spot on with that. And and that's something that was a reoccurring theme with almost all of our guests in this series was they're just really big on coaching and educating and training. So that's definitely something to take close to heart.

Kelsi Carter:

I think, like, another thing going off of you educate to motivate too because as you're continuing to learn, you're gonna have to continue to innovate and adapt as well because things are constantly changing.

Dave Charest:

Right? Yeah. Yep. Alright. So give away your knowledge.

Dave Charest:

Love that. Steph, what did you have for Marquis?

Stephanie Alfonso:

So for Marki's, when I really had to drill down what was the core of what I learned from her, she is no nonsense. She keeps it real. She keeps it honest. And I really loved her genuine approach at reminding us that we do work for money. Right?

Stephanie Alfonso:

We are in for profit business. So to make smart decisions with the bottom line, with your bottom line in mind. Right? Just being smart about the decisions that you make, and it is okay to say, hey. This is a decision that I'm making purely because it is going to increase my bottom line.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Well, similarly, I wanna jump off that a little bit. So I had for Marquis just diversify your income streams. I thought it was just great the way she talked through it and really gave away this idea that you shouldn't just rely on commissions. Yeah.

Dave Charest:

Right? Right. There's there's multiple ways that you can generate revenue in the work that you do. And I thought really thinking through that and, you know, if you look at just Marquis as the example herself, how she leverages what she's doing from a content creation standpoint, you know, she's publishing books based on the podcast. She's got speaking she's got all of this stuff that she does, and she's really advising agents to do the same thing.

Dave Charest:

Right? To really look for those alternative revenue sources, even if it's just referral business in many instances. You know, instead of getting licenses in other states, she's just looking for referral business to those other states and things like that. And so I thought it was just great idea to really start thinking like, how do you stop thinking about real estate as just selling homes, but really do think of it in that with that entrepreneurial spirit and running a business and then looking for the multiple ways you can generate revenue with it, I thought was a really holistic view to take on it that I think is beneficial.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. I also loved how Marki gave us also a glimpse into she was born and bred out of a long line of entrepreneurs within her family and just kind of the lessons that she learned along the way from that and just how when you are kind of brought up in that environment, just how that kind of shapes your view on the world and the drive that she has to get out there and give all her knowledge away. And yet at the same time, she's never lacking because she's just always doing something different and learning.

Dave Charest:

So it's really cool. So our second in our series was an interview with Christine George. Steph, let's start with you this time. What did you find most interesting or learned from our conversation with Christine?

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. So Christine is an agency, and she does marketing on behalf of real estate professionals. And so loved her take on just branding and just, you know, she's kind of on the other side of things where she is the marketer. Right? She is the one who is empowering and and helping agents to do their marketing.

Stephanie Alfonso:

And the thing that I really took from Christine is that marketing is not a one size fits all. And obviously, that's something that she really needs to focus on all the time as she's working with so many different brands. And, you know, she really talks a lot about finding what you're passionate about and not looking to the right and to the left of you, what everyone else is doing, to find your sweet spot. She says some things that people would be like, oh my gosh. You know, she's like, if video's not your thing, don't do video.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Right? Whereas so many of us were like, do video, do video, do video. It's so important. And it is. But I love how Christine has such a great way of tapping into everyone that she works with, what their strengths are, and doubling down on that.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Right? Because there's so many ways to skin a cat. Right? There's so many ways to be successful in this industry, and she does an incredible job of really spelling out how we can lean into that individually.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. I mean, I kinda looked at this too in the you know, specifically honed in on that idea of like really defining your niche and then owning that. And so it kinda couples with what you're saying here, right, is finding that thing about you that is really important because think it's a marriage of those two things. Right? It's really about taking what it is that you're passionate about, what are your strengths, what are your experiences, and then aligning that with who are the people that you want to serve, what is it that you want to do, what is the market that you're trying to go after?

Dave Charest:

And then really, really focus on that because then that allows you to build a brand that allows you to attract the right clients to your business. Right? So I I I yeah. I love that. Kelsi, what did what did you have for Christine's episode?

Kelsi Carter:

Well, I was gonna say that also kind of brings in intentionality. I feel like she's very intentional. And with that, she doesn't just mean because when you think of branding, initially, you're just thinking of, like, colors, logos, but it's about more than that. But branding, you also wanna be you wanna know who your client is. You wanna know what your messaging is, your focus is, what your strength is so that you can be intentional and target that audience and also cultivate a message that's specifically for them.

Kelsi Carter:

So I think that was really important for her too. And I just that stood out for me.

Stephanie Alfonso:

It's just like intentionality is really important. And several of our guests really talked about that storytelling, about how branding yourself and what that marketing message really comes down to telling your story. You know? And oftentimes, storytelling, Viral talks a lot about it, is just ultimately will show people who you are, and people are gonna remember how you made them feel and all that good stuff.

Stephanie Alfonso:

So whether it's through email, video, social media, the ones who really lean into that storytelling are gonna stand out.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Our third episode, Verl Workman, I'm gonna jump in here on this one. I just loved everything about just the ease with which we had a conversation with Viral for one. But also I just love that idea of really understanding how to create sustainable success and where you'd have to delegate and create these systems. You know, I loved how really he stressed that idea of that like, look, if you want to advance and you want to scale, you should not be spending your time doing $20 an hour tasks.

Dave Charest:

And I thought that's like eye opening in many instances because I think it's very easy for us all to get into the weeds of our work. Because sometimes I think there are things that we enjoy doing, and I think I don't know how much you wanna let go of those. But also there's the reality that like, yeah, like if you're spending your time doing that, you're not spending your time doing something that's actually gonna have more of an impact on what what you can do and where you can go with your business. And so I think it was a really great reminder to to hear that. I also thought that magic number rule, I would call it.

Dave Charest:

Right? That idea of like, if there's anything that you're doing three times or more, you gotta create a system for it. You gotta figure out, like, how do you make this repeatable? How are you able to then pass that work off to somebody else because they know the system, they know what they need to do. I thought that was really important.

Dave Charest:

And then just that idea of just daily success tracking what's going on. So you know, because I I think part of the conversation was this idea of being predictable. Right? Knowing what you're going to achieve by really paying attention to what it is that you're doing and then focusing and prioritizing those things that are, again, going to move you forward rather than hold you back.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. Absolutely. And a lot of that is encompassed into how much Verl leans into the value of teams in the real estate industry. Teams are becoming such a backbone of the industry. It is becoming a tool that brokers are using for recruiting.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Right? It's like we have teams and the teams recruit. And so that is taking a lot off of the brokers' shoulders as far as those recruitment and retention efforts. But the idea of teams goes right along what Vrul always talks about as far as delegation and having systems and processes in place. Oftentimes, the functionality of that runs really well within a team.

Stephanie Alfonso:

You know? He was saying like, how many successful organizations are just one person? Right?

Dave Charest:

One person. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Dave Charest:

Kelsi, what what'd you have in there?

Kelsi Carter:

Stephanie and Dave, you guys echoed it perfectly. I had delegate to elevate. Oh. Because it's a great way to remind it because you can't be successful in business by yourself. And then also too just to make your life easier and as you wanna grow and as you wanna start stepping back, you have to have these systems in place to be able to do so.

Kelsi Carter:

Yep. So delegate to elevate everyone hashtag.

Stephanie Alfonso:

I like that, Kelsi. I would actually like to put that on a

Stephanie Alfonso:

T shirt. I'll make it for you. That'll be your Christmas present.

Stephanie Alfonso:

One thing I don't want to forget to talk about too, something that I've always valued about Verl, is the emphasis he puts on family. Yeah. And oftentimes, as entrepreneurs, right, will say that we work twenty four hours a day and, you know, we've got so much on our shoulders and a day off, what's that? And he rejects that mentality. He really talks about, again, having systems and processes in place, being cultivating team environments allows you to live the life that you've always dreamed of having.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Right? We work to live. We don't live to work.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Yeah.

Stephanie Alfonso:

You know? And I really think that he is just like a walking, talking example of how you can have it all, the family life, be able to take vacations, be able to be well rested, and have a healthy lifestyle. So many real estate professionals, probably, I would dare say the majority, have families. Right? So we need to be business owners.

Stephanie Alfonso:

We also need to have a balance in our life with our family, and I just love how Verrill talks a lot about that.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. I mean, just to add to that, I just love how he has his families involved in the business. Right? It's it's Mhmm.

Kelsi Carter:

So That's what I was gonna say. I love that he started it with his daughter.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. It it got me thinking about a couple of things too the other day. I know. You're TPU

Kelsi Carter:

I know. You have twin girls. day.

Dave Charest:

Right? So I don't know. That so that's very cool. Yeah. I think that's the big thing to take away from this is that we do get to decide or you get to decide as the business owner, and you don't have to choose running yourself ragged.

Dave Charest:

You can choose doing the things that grow your business, but then also grow you as a human as well, and I think that's a good tip there. Alright. Number four, we had Ian Hoover. Kelsi, what'd you have for Ian?

Kelsi Carter:

Ian Hoover. So for him, my takeaway was that recruiting agents is critical, and then you also don't want to just hire someone based on, I guess, star power, if that makes sense, that you want to hire someone based on their potential because people can work up. So you don't necessarily immediately have a top seller right when you get them. You train them, but that's how you train them in the way that, like, works in the process that you want. And then also that creates loyalty within your business.

Kelsi Carter:

So I just feel like that is super relevant because I feel like a lot of people try to go after top producers when really they should be looking in house or looking closer to turn agents into those high performers.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. It's almost like that niche discussion again, Homo. Right? Like, he's very clear on the type of agent that he wants to attract to his brokerage so that he has people that one are a good fit for the framework or the culture of the business itself. But also, it leans into, I think, the strengths that he can offer.

Dave Charest:

Mhmm. Right? So he's able to train somebody up where if somebody's already at the top, right, like, might not be beneficial to that agent as much as someone that's, you know, has room to grow. Right? Right.

Dave Charest:

So I think that's really important as well. Steph, what do you have?

Stephanie Alfonso:

So just real quick on to just comment on what you what you observed, Kelsey. And I love hearing what Kelsi has to say because Yeah. Kelsi's in the background, right, just listening like the

Stephanie Alfonso:

little church mouse.

Kelsi Carter:

I know. I don't know if people know this. I I do listen into these, and I take notes in the background.

Kelsi Carter:

I I I will give props to Steph

Kelsi Carter:

for finding these people because they really know their stuff.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. They were super great. Yeah. So I love loving hearing your insight, Kelsi. But just kinda piggybacking, I had a mentor say to me one time that whenever he's hiring people, right, he hires for talent and he trains for skill.

Stephanie Alfonso:

I love that. It's been something that's always kinda resonated in my mind when we think about who we bring along and when we talk about brokers recruiting, what they look for, and Ian really does embody that. And so and again, because I know him and because I've met the folks in his office, you truly see that environment of, like, support and growth there. But so going into my biggest takeaway really lines up with that is all about culture. And culture in a brokerage is the best way to retain your talent and, of course, build good talent.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Culture can mean so many different things, and every brokerage can have a little bit of a different culture. You know, I've been to brokerages that were very polished. Right? Like, was dressed very professional. The office was beautiful.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Nothing wrong with that. That was kind of the culture, and it was fun. It was still enjoyable. And then with other cultures, and I felt like it was just fun. You go in there.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Had a pool table. They were all friends. You know, they were all talking like, they knew each other's families, and it really made you feel like you are just, like, part of a friend group. Right? They were all there to help each other.

Stephanie Alfonso:

They were celebrating each other's wins. There were several teams within, but even all the teams collaborated together. So it just was super awesome, and I love that that's something that they hang their hat on. And to your point, Kelsi, it's not about recruiting the number one agent in Pennsylvania. It was more like what fits within this group because everybody has their place.

Stephanie Alfonso:

So yeah. Yep.

Kelsi Carter:

It's who has the right attitude and the right drive for it.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. For sure. For sure.

Dave Charest:

It's all about finding the people that fit in with what it is that you're trying to do. And but and believe in that mission. Right? And believe in and right here we go. We're trying to achieve a common goal.

Dave Charest:

Right? So it's all that. And one of the things that I took away from our conversation with Ian that I thought was also very interesting and something very applicable to any business at this point in the game, but it's really about that idea of embracing AI and automation, and just really even thinking about the tools. I mean, hopefully, as as you're if you're a constant contact listening, constant contact customer listening, you're really recognizing how, you know, AI and automation that come into all of this, it's really a game changer in many instances about just thinking about how you can be more efficient in terms of like creating and automating stuff you'll do on social media, which you're constantly having to feed, improving how you're communicating in many instances. I know not you know, we mentioned at the top here that not everyone is a marketer by trade.

Dave Charest:

And so sometimes finding the right words or how to frame something to promote something that you've been working on can be difficult. AI, of course, can come help with all of those things, even something as simple as strategy or just even ideas and and things like that and helping you figure out, okay, what do I need to do next? And so to Ian's point and many of this, like AI isn't really about the future anymore. It's here. It's the present.

Dave Charest:

And if you're not using it, I think you're you're really starting to fall behind in many instances already.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. Totally agree with that. So many areas, of course, AI, automation, digital marketing in general. Right? It's not an option anymore.

Stephanie Alfonso:

When I started working with agents over a decade ago, it was you know, we kinda talked about like, hey. How many of you are on social media? Hey. It might be a good idea. And it's you know, we coach in such different ways now.

Stephanie Alfonso:

And then also because it's not an option, we need to be sending an email once a week. We need to be on social media multiple times a week. We need to make sure that we're creating content. Therefore, we need to leverage AI. But it is also easier than ever before to do so.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Right? Because of the advancements that we have in AI, it's easier to be a marketer in 2025 than it ever ever has been ever. So I love that I get to coach on, like, hey. Here's how you can use AI to do the things instead of just here's how to do the things.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Well but I think it's also important to bring up to your point, like, is easier than ever, but it also can feel very overwhelming because of that fact that it's so easy and that there are so many things to do. And I just wanna remind folks listening that as you're thinking about this, if you are feeling overwhelmed, I think the idea here in any of this is it's all about prioritization. And it's all about thinking, what do I need to do right now based on where I am at with my business? And then eliminate the noise of the other things so that you can focus on those highest priority items to get things done.

Dave Charest:

Because once you start I think there's a difference between spinning your wheels because there's so much to do versus focusing and getting things done and starting to check things off those lists, which then grow upon each other and start to compound. Right? You get the snowball going in many instances, and you're building a strong foundation. Is so if you're starting to feel overwhelmed, strip away the noise, focus on what's most important to you, and actually get going on those things because I think that's where you start to because it is so easy, it's also very easy to get overwhelmed.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. Good point. Good point. It's true. We talk about it's easier than it ever was before.

Dave Charest:

Yeah.

Stephanie Alfonso:

And then somebody's sitting back there going, but wait, it doesn't feel easy to me. Right?

Dave Charest:

So Right. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. So our last episode here was Anthony LaMachia.

Dave Charest:

Steph, what did you learn from our friend, mister LaMachia?

Stephanie Alfonso:

So fun conversation. I love how Anthony is such a just a fireball of energy, and it really took away from him that to live and work unapologetically, people truly are attracted to passion. People are attracted to energy. And so I think that's something that he lives, he exudes. He is somebody who was a big player in the industry the past two years, or when I say a player, a voice.

Stephanie Alfonso:

With everything going on with the National Association of Realtors, the market, and the industry was rough. Right? Inventory was low. Interest rates were high. Agents were struggling.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Agents weren't producing. NAR was going through all of their stuff. And Anthony really came in like a wrecking ball just being such an advocate for the realtor. And, you know, he self proclaims that really put him on the map as far as a voice even though he's been a successful brokerage, but that's what I take from him. And so many things he said are great and valuable, educate to attract, and just his upbringing as a marketer in the landscaping biz.

Stephanie Alfonso:

But what I really think is unique about him and has driven his success is he's passionate about what he does. He's bold. He says to be bold as his greatest takeaway, right, in the things that you do. And the energy that you put out there is going to attract what kind of success you bring to yourself.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. You mentioned the wrecking ball, and all I could picture was Anthony, like, swinging on a wrecking ball in, a commercial because I feel like this would be something that he would do. Right?

Stephanie Alfonso:

I was gonna say, dude, Anthony, if you're listening, give us the shout out when you make a commercial like this because I totally could see it.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Kelsi, what'd you have?

Kelsi Carter:

Play the effing game. No. So so Alright. To be for him. He was very much like marketing is the game, and he knows how to play it.

Kelsi Carter:

So when he finds a strategy, he just goes all right in. He taps right into it. But he's also prepared for when that stops working because things are constantly changing trends, strategies. So you have to constantly monitor, test, and adjust. And that's something that I think he's tapped into very well.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Well, speaking of tapping into, right, that's what I had was refining that marketing vein and doubling down on that thing. Right? If you can figure out because this is ultimately what marketing is. It's understanding what are the things that are keeping your audience up at night, what are the things that they're constantly thinking about what's going on in their world, how can you insert yourself in there and be part of that, be a voice within that story that they're already telling themselves and helping them get to the places and achieve the things that they need to do.

Dave Charest:

And I think really looking at finding what that is and then really going for it. Right? Leaning into that and then recognizing that, of course, as we've been talking about, like, it's not always gonna be there. It may dry up at a certain point, but being aware enough to pay attention to when that is drying up so you know when you need to find that next thing. And and I I think of it time and time again, I think of it I mean, I was doing some math the other day, and it hurt my brain for a little bit, but then I was like, wow.

Dave Charest:

I've been really doing this for nineteen plus years. And really, I haven't really been talking about many things that different in terms of foundationally from a marketing perspective, but it is how you're presenting the story and what changes and what the narrative is kind of at the time and what people are focused on and and thinking about. Right? And it's really finding those things. And so just a big proponent of that is, know, once you find that thing that works, really scale it up, but realize that you need to stay adaptable and pivot when necessary.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Right. Just because something works today doesn't mean it's going to work a year from now. Right? And sometimes things come in cycles. You know, sometimes there's the hot thing to do right now and the thing that's popular right now, and then maybe that will dry up.

Stephanie Alfonso:

And again, like Anthony says, you gotta find another vein. But something I really value that Anthony is, as much as he's adaptable and he's always, you know, got his finger in the wind and making sure he understands where what the direction the industry is going in, but he also knows the fundamentals of what works. A lot of times, you guys know we hear all the time, email marketing, is that still a thing? Right? Is is email marketing still a thing?

Stephanie Alfonso:

And Anthony will get fired up about it, and he's like, heck yes. And if you're not doing it, what is wrong with you? Right? Like, that's fundamental. And, you know, although different strategies might change or messaging might change or but he also understands the value.

Stephanie Alfonso:

He's the one that's gonna say, Yeah. I'll do a billboard. Yeah. I'll do postcards. I'll do all the things that are considered quote unquote old school, but you've gotta be flexible and understanding that messages change, different seasons change, the way you market in Massachusetts in the winter could be a little different, right, than what you do in the summer, especially like when he talks about his family business in the landscaping business.

Stephanie Alfonso:

But yeah. So it's just having that nice blend of being innovative, being willing to adapt and change, but also understanding what the fundamentals are with consistent marketing.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. Well, you're not gonna get an argument for me on the fundamentals piece. I'm a big believer in that. I think you have to build a strong foundation in order to earn the right in many instances to try these other things or go chasing something. Because if you've got those fundamentals in place, they give you the basis to grow.

Dave Charest:

They give you the ability to sell things, to have something that's working for you so that you can then say, alright, I'm gonna chase this idea. I'm gonna try this thing. But if you do that without the foundation, well then you're always chasing and you've got nothing to support you in the background. And so, yeah, I I I love that idea. Well, we heard so many things across these episodes.

Dave Charest:

I hope you'll go back and listen to them if you're just catching up with us now. You've heard some things that may have piqued your interest a bit, but so many kind of things to hear. I'm glad, Steph, you were able to bring these amazing people to us for this series of episodes that we did here specific to real estate. So I wanted to maybe throw it to you before we close-up here today, but any kind of final parting words or any thoughts of just of just this experience or what you think is really important for folks in the real estate industry to be thinking about right now?

Stephanie Alfonso:

Yeah. So couple things. First, a lot of people when I came to Constant Contact, they asked me knowing that I've been in the industry for a while, they're like, oh, is Constant Contact, We know that they're the giants in small business, but they're real estate also. And it kinda makes me laugh a little bit because it's like, hey. Listen.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Real estate, we're small business owners. Right? Like, we are absolutely within that that vein of what Constant Contact really helps with. Right? Especially when we think about one of the fundamentals in digital marketing is maximizing and nurturing your database.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Right? That's a nonnegotiable. Our list in the real estate industry, 86% of our business comes from it. It's our lifeline. It's everything.

Stephanie Alfonso:

It's where all of our business comes from. And so it was really a passionate decision for me knowing that I got to work in the real estate industry with a company that focuses on the most important thing that an agent needs to be doing for their business. So that's one thing. The other thing is why I'm just really excited is to really give the real estate industry an even louder voice in the marketing space. I think there are so many incredible entrepreneurs that come out of this space, whether they are actual agents or brokers or people in tech or there's just such a world that I think that we're able to get a better glimpse into how the sausage is made.

Stephanie Alfonso:

Is that how we say that? Behind the scenes. Yeah. Behind the scenes

Stephanie Alfonso:

in the industry and what makes it tick and what matters to a real estate professional. What kind of tech do they use? What kind of tech is gonna really move the needle when it comes to lead generation? Where are the areas we really should be tapping into if we're buying leads? What so there's so many discussions I am excited to have for with us in the future.

Stephanie Alfonso:

I really feel like we've just kinda cracked the surface. But at the end of the day, the common theme that we have across, I think, anybody that would ever come on Be a Marketer is just that reoccurring theme that we are entrepreneurs, that we have to lean into marketing, we have to lean into these common themes that all make our businesses run and tick, and there's so much more that we have in common than we think. So I'm just excited to give us a little more verticalized conversation around marketing.

Dave Charest:

Yeah. So I'll say this for the listener. We typically end these with an action item, and I'll and I'll say this for this episode. We talked about a lot. We revealed things that stood out to us as we had these conversations with people.

Dave Charest:

If there's something in this conversation here today that resonated with you, find that episode where we talked about that particular thing, go back and listen to it. But find that thing that resonated with you and create an action plan. Right? Put some time in the calendar to think about that. So what does that mean if I were to apply that to my business, no matter what business that you're in?

Dave Charest:

Because really, the only way things happen with this, and I know you know this about your business, you have a business because you took those steps to start a business, and it's the same thing with marketing or or anything that we're talking about here. The only way you move forward and you grow is by taking those steps to do the things that we're talking about here. You can't just think about them, you have to do them. And so as I think about the things that we've done through this series, grateful, of course, to Kelsey Carter. Kelsey, thank you for being here with us as always.

Dave Charest:

It was good to hear your voice a little bit more in this episode.

Kelsi Carter:

I know. I gotta gotta take a lozenge. It's it's all strained from talking so much.

Dave Charest:

You made my wheezing go up. And then and Steph Alfonso, of course, thank you for, again, lining up these amazing guests and sharing your insights and expertise into the real estate industry. So really appreciate that.

Kelsi Carter:

Thank you. Especially you Steph.

Stephanie Alfonso:

It was my pleasure. I loved every moment of it, guys. Thank you so much. You guys being a marketer is such a great thing going on here, and I'm excited to do more. Yeah.

Kelsi Carter:

Maybe stay tuned for part two. Who knows?

Dave Charest:

We'll we'll see. We'll see. Well, friends, thanks as always for listening, and we'll we'll catch you next time. Bye, friends.

Dave Charest:

I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast. Please take a moment to leave us a review. Just go to ratethispodcast.com/bam. Your honest feedback will help other small business marketers like yourself find the show. That's ratethispodcast.com/bam.

Dave Charest:

Well, friend, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and continued success to you and your business.