Tortoise or hare, which one best describes your real estate style?
Experienced agents will readily tell you that real estate isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. There are agents who survive and those who thrive. But do you have what it takes to finish the race?
A new website called Parkbench.com is turning community-minded real estate agents into savvy ‘digital mayors’. Their innovative prospecting strategy has attracted over 1000 agents across North America, seeking a unique way to build referral business.
But not every agent is suited for the platform.
What kind of real estate agent are you?
If you’d like to be the #1 agent in your farm or brokerage, find out in this article if Parkbench is right for you!
What Is Parkbench?
Parkbench is a groundbreaking service for real estate agents with a unique approach to marketing. Their focus is on building authentic relationships that generate referrals, rather than lead generation.
Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur/realtor Amanda Newman and her husband, Grant Findlay Shirras, Parkbench is both a service and a system. They build neighborhood websites for agents who want to establish themselves as neighborhood specialists.
Each neighborhood website functions as a comprehensive online hub that local residents and business owners can use for free. Local deals, news, events and business listings can all be found on Parkbench for just about any neighborhood.
Find local deals and more on Parkbench
Introducing The Prospect-Interview® System
The Parkbench Prospect-Interview® system doesn’t rely on clever SEO or strategic PPC campaigns to drive referrals. Instead, agents are shown how to engage prospects face-to-face by offering value to local businesses.
Real estate agent Toril Schoepfer describes her Parkbench experience in her own words best:
“Parkbench motivated me to become the DM “digital mayor” of my community. No one else was video interviewing local businesses and Parkbench had the platform for us to launch our mission. We’ve done over 75 successful interviews in the last year. These interviews have helped us build several new relationships, reconnecting with local professionals and give back to small businesses in our marketplace.”
By leveraging their knowledge, expertise, and relationships, agents on the Parkbench platform can quickly brand themselves as neighborhood specialists. Their interviews generate word-of-mouth that leads to qualified referrals – a strategy as old as real estate itself.
The Right Mindset Wins The Race
Like many agents attempting to launch their career, David Eshan dreamed of a successful real estate business. He invested time and money into online lead generation but wasn’t building authentic relationships or referrals.
When David discovered Parkbench, he was seeking a turnkey solution that would generate quick results. After a year of coaching in the Parkbench Prospect-Interview® system, however, his real estate career finally turned a crucial corner:
“When I was first contacted…I was told…that Parkbench was not for everybody; that only certain types of Realtors would be able to make appropriate use of their platform…If you REALLY see yourself as being in the relationship and community building business and not in it solely for the money or the next transaction, (insert long and hard thought here) then Parkbench is an amazing opportunity!
If, however, you are thinking about this as just another fancy marketing ploy to get your name and face out there, trust me this deal is not for you. You will see yourself as “working for free” rather than investing your time and if your heart’s not in it, it will show in the form of inconsistency and resentment.”
By changing his mindset, David began to see the value of the prospect interview system. He realized that building authentic relationships is the only way to build a lasting real estate career, but it’s not for everyone.
Tortoise Or Hare: Which One Are You?
Parkbench doesn’t claim to turn mediocre agents into top performers. Rather, it provides a platform and an opportunity for motivated agents to build a long lasting successful business based on relationships and referrals in their local community.
Training and support are key to the Parkbench onboarding process. Every agent who joins Parkbench is coached for success, and agents with the right mindset quickly flourish.
Like the tortoise and the hare, there are really only 2 types of agents. One thinks short-term and burns out quickly, while the other plans for the long-haul and is more strategic.
Short-Term Agents (Hares):
- The majority of realtors belong to this category.
- They enter the business attracted by the high commissions and the appeal of being independent.
- They are motivated more by money and personal gains rather than helping people with their real estate needs.
Long-Term Agents (Tortoises):
- These realtors are passionate about people, not commissions.
- They gain energy from providing great service and helping people achieve their real estate goals.
- value building relationships with their community
- always seeking to broaden their sphere of influence.
HARES (Short-term agents)
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TORTOISES (Long-term agents)
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The Parkbench Local Leader system provides realtors in the long-term category with the tools to build and cultivate relationships in their community.
Conclusion: Should You Join Parkbench?
With the right mindset and a passion for helping others, Parkbench can help you build a long-term real estate business. Their unique focus on referrals is a refreshing approach to prospecting.
The training and coaching provided by Parkbench are designed to turn agents into ‘local leaders’. If you have a genuine desire to add value to the businesses in your farm, there is no better way than the prospect-interview® system.
Again, Parkbench won’t turn an unmotivated, mediocre agent into a top performer. And there are no shortcuts to a long-term career in real estate. Parkbench, however, offers community-minded agents a simple, direct way to build a referral-based business.
The real question isn’t should you join; it’s are you READY to join Parkbench?