How To Sell 80 Homes A Year With Facebook Ads

Kara Newton:  So not only am I doing real estate, but I can also share wisdom or share recipes. I mean, I just was like this so aligns it with me, I can do ads on all this. I can do ads on my kids like, I'm a proud mom, my daughter's going to college, and it just felt authentic to me ‘cause I was already doing all of that, but now I'm just taking somebody and they're just putting some money behind it to really rev up my brand. And so for people who maybe have not seen me on my personal wall, they're starting to see me. So that's kind of how I found Platform and literally I knew the minute I was on that Zoom, it was exactly what I wanted.  

Tim Chermak: This is the Platform Marketing Show where we interview the most creative and ambitious real estate agents in the country, dissect their local marketing strategy, and get the behind-the-scenes scoop on how they're generating listing leads and warm referrals. We'll dive into the specifics of what marketing campaigns are working for them, how much they're spending on those campaigns, and figure out how they have perfected what we call the Platform Marketing strategy. This is your host, Tim Chermak. I'm the founder and CEO of Platform. I love marketing and I talk too much.  So let's dive in.

Tim Chermak: Hey guys, it's Tim Chermak and welcome back to another episode of the Platform Marketing Show. I'm joined today by Kara Newton from Asheboro, North Carolina. Kara, welcome to the show. 

Kara Newton: Hello! Thank you so much! 

Tim Chermak: So Kara was already an extremely successful realtor actually before she ever stumbled across the Platform Marketing strategy. I think you were already selling 60, 70 plus homes a year before you started Platform marketing. But I think the reason that you were interested in this Platform strategy that we'll dive into here is you were already doing such an excellent job at building your personal brand in your community and posting on your personal profile, and you were really maximizing all the things you could do organically on social media, but you wanted maybe a more like systemized approach of knowing that someone else is also managing the more professional ad like paid ads with it. 

So Kara, let me just start by asking you, let's kind of get a lay of the land, like where is your business at right now? What was your GCI? Or what were your number of homes sold last year and what is your goal for this year here as we roll into 2024?  

Kara Newton: Okay. So last year my GCI was somewhere in the 400s. We closed around 80 homes, that's including a few outgoing referrals. So last year even though when a lot of people were, I guess, flaking out in real estate industry or going down, I didn't see that decline. I saw an uptick especially in listings for sure. 

Tim Chermak: And you joined the Platform program about almost seven months ago. Is that right? 

Kara Newton: I think so. I think it was June when I joined. 

Tim Chermak: Okay. Yep. So you're not quite a year into it, but you're also not like brand new where it's your second month or something. You've kind of been with the Platform program long enough to kind of see what's going to start happening if you follow the plan. So you sold 80 homes this last year. You're on pace to already do more than that this year. 

Can you describe to us what your marketing and advertising looked like to build your business before you ever discovered Platform? ‘Cause obviously what everyone's probably wondering as they listen to this is, okay, well if she already was selling 70, 80 homes a year, what got her to that point? Right? So what did your marketing look like before Platform?  

Kara Newton: So I started out just right away on Facebook. I've always known that Facebook is free and it's a way to get yourself out there. So my first sale, I literally, somebody posted on Facebook, they were thinking about buying a home and I reached out to her and I was like, “Hey, Chelsea. I see you're thinking about it.” And it just kind of stemmed from there. And so I would say what really was the focal point is I literally posted everything that I would do. 

So if I was going on a showing and I would make a story like I'm prepping for my showings, I would make a picture while I'm at my showing. So pretty much everything was Facebook. Everything was very organic. I had a lot, I've had so many people ask me if I have someone do all my content, my marketing. I've never had anybody. Everything is just me and I think on the fly. 

So how I go through my day is, I think to myself on everything, what can I turn this into content? Because people at the end of the day, just want to know who you are as a person and I know that if you can build that relationship with them and they can just kind of get a vibe of who you are, and they feel like they kind of know you and they know your life, then if they're thinking about selling like, “Oh my gosh, there's that girl. I see her all the time.” And they're going to call me. 

So I started doing that. And then I would say year 2, I started incorporating a little bit more of like Facebook lives and these were not anything professional. And I think this is where agents stumble. They think they have to be curated and perfect. I would literally go on a listing, I would take my phone and I'd be like, “Hey guys, it's Kara. I'm here at 123 Main Street. I just figured you might want to see this house. I'm going to flip my camera around.” And I would flip and no stabilizer on my phone and I would just walk around and I would flip around and be like, “What'd you think about this house?” and that was the extent of my marketing. 

And I think I preach this to anybody that comes and partners with me and they really struggle with it. “Done is better than perfect”. That is my motto in everything. We're training a new girl here today, bringing on a TC and she said something about overthinking and my assistant, who's now my operations manager, stopped her and she's like, “You can't be an overthinker with Kara.” And she's like, “Oh.” She's like, “Cause Kara will tell you done is better than perfect.” And so I would say that's where I can contribute most of my success is, I just do it. 

And so then I would say the next year I was probably in real estate, it was my third year when I actually started getting a videographer who would do video. And no one, and when I say no one in my area was doing video, no one. Now everybody's doing it now but no one was doing video in my area. So I started standing out. I started paying the extra money. A lot of realtors, I'm just going to say it straight out, are cheap and they want to just put a dollar to a listing and hope for that commission check and run on. There's a lot of listings that I have $1,000 to $1,500 in marketing before it even touches the market.

Tim Chermak: And what's the average price point in Asheboro, North Carolina? 

Kara Newton: Usually 230 to 250. 

Tim Chermak: So that's really really impressive that you're willing to invest that much into marketing. I just want to kind of highlight that point because I know when a lot of people are listening to this they hear, “Oh, wow, you sold 80 homes last year.” And they're thinking like, “You must just be rolling in the money.” It's like, well, she's in a market where a lot of the homes are $200,000 or 230, $240,000. So you have to sell a pretty significant amount of volume to make real money in a market like that ‘cause it's not like all your commission checks are $20,000 a piece. 

Kara Newton: Oh, no! I mean, there's a lot that are $3,000, $5,000 and I think what a lot of people, I notice is, I'll get this all time, “Oh my gosh, you're just rolling in the money. You’re just stacking cash.” And I'm thinking to myself, I have always been a long term thinker and when I did that strength finder or whatever, it set out my number one was a futurist. 

So I am the type of business owner, and I've been like this when I built my first business at 21, I will always spend money to make money. And so if you compare me against other agents, I would say probably my net dollar or whatever you call it, the bottom dollar, is probably lower than a lot of other agents and it's because I spend so much. But I know business. And I know that if I spend everything now and I stack up on that foundation, eventually I've built such a strong brand that I can still spend that much but I'm going to have so many more clients coming to me because I've spent all that money. And so I would prefer to spend 80 to 100 grand a year on marketing when other agents are probably, if I had to guess, spending 5 to $10,000.

Tim Chermak: Right, right. 

Kara Newton: That and literally stack my brand so powerful that in the next 2, 3, 4, 5 years, my phone doesn't stop ringing and it's just crazy. And like the business is just there because I've spent so much money. 

Tim Chermak: Even if, let's say, you're spending literally $100,000 a year on marketing, whether it's the Platform Marketing program, Facebook ad spend, you're hiring a videographer, all the other random things that we'll get into that you also do for marketing, right? But if that means that you make $500,000, well, then there's a $400,000 net profit. And you're at the end of the day, making a lot more money than someone who doesn't want to spend any more than $10,000 but their business max is out then at like $150,000 GCI. 

Kara Newton: Yep. And I also know when building a brand, I teach on building a brand a lot. If you build a personal brand, you have anything you want in life. And I know that by building that, I lost my train of thought, but by building that personal brand, it gives so much dividends. 

And building a personal brand is built upon momentum. So you've got some people who don't want to hardly spend nothing and they want to do that bare minimum. And you can't build a snowman if you barely roll the ball. It's melted by the time you've got momentum. So I know that if I put my foot on the gas - money, energy, time, effort - then Agent A can start here and I could start later and I'm just gonna like fly right past it because I'm willing to invest in all the aspects that it takes. 

My social media takes a lot of time and a lot of energy but I know what it gives me in return. And I'm also willing to be uncomfortable because I know what that uncomfortableness brings me on video. I don't love doing videos, but I know what it brings me. So I do it. 

Tim Chermak: So it's safe to say that what got you to this point in your career again, before you ever discovered Platform, was that you were really utilizing all of the organic social media opportunities you had. If you were preparing for a listing, you would take a photo or film a quick video for a story or even a reel of, “Hey, I'm doing a market analysis, doing some research for a listing appointment tonight.” Or if you're actually, after you've taken a listing, if you're pounding a sign in the yard, you would always take a photo or video of you putting the sign in the yard. 

If you're at the home inspection or you're at a closing, you're filming videos, photos. Just every opportunity of every minute throughout your day that you could essentially document, “Hey, look how busy I am. I'm selling all these homes,” that's going to constantly be popping up across people's newsfeeds and just makes it look like, “Oh, Kara's a really successful agent” and now obviously you are a really successful agent, but it wasn't always that way. You obviously had to create that perception and momentum early on even before you were selling 30, 40, 50, 60 homes a year. It's because you spent all this time creating content. 

Tim Chermak: So fast forward now to 2023 and as we're rolling into 2024 here, this is your first year with the Platform Marketing strategy. What attracted you to Platform? How did you first hear about Platform? Why did you want to sign up even though you were already so successful as an agent? 

Kara Newton: So not very many people know this, but I had actually been praying, I would say for about six months on a way to bring another lead generation to my business. I didn't want to do realtor.com leads. I didn't want to do Zillow. I didn't want to do any of that. That to me, yes, it can be relational, but it's very transactional. And I really love to build my business organically, authentically, and who I am as a person and in my community. I don't want to just be chasing leads left and right. I also am at a level in my career (where) I don't show houses that are not pre qualified, all of that. And a lot of Zillow, you get into that. I don't knock anybody that builds their business through that, but that's not what's authentic to me.

So I've been praying about it and honestly, I had been going through a rough time in just my life and in aspects of it. And I felt like if I wasn't on Facebook always, I would always see a decline in my business if I didn't show up how I'd always show up. And we're talking 2 to 3 posts a day, anywhere from 6, 8 to 16 stories a day, very consistent. And still to this day, I do what I did in 2019 when I started. And that I would say that's probably the key point here is, I am still doing the basics. And new agents come in and they always want something new shiny, new shiny, new shiny. If you would just stick to the basics, it will lead you to where you want to go.

And so I've been praying. I was sitting on my couch one day, not a really in a good spot to be honest and someone had posted something in, I think the Real Estate Mastermind group and I saw a couple of people, like 3 to 5 people posting their Platform Marketing. So I was like, “Oh, let me see” and I saw somebody comment and I was like, “Let me click.” And then I saw Platform Marketing and I saw y'all had done a testimony on Molly. Molly Lyons, I think?

Tim Chermak: Myers. Right? Molly Myers?

Kara Newton: Right. Molly Myers. And I was like, oh. Well, I don't know her but I know of her. She's an hour or so. And then I was like, oh. Then I saw David in Greensboro and so I was like, “Hmm, let me see this.” So I just started researching it and something flicked in my soul was like, “Oh, this might be it.” And so at that point money was kind of tight. Went through a divorce. That was disastrous, whatever. New path now and I was like, “Oh, I don't know if I can do this, so let me have a call.”

So I had a call. Y’all had so many people inquire that week you did a Zoom, which is not the norm, Diana had said. I was listening. And while we're on that Zoom, I knew, I said, “This is it. This is what I've been praying for.” And I text Diana ‘cause y'all had given her number and I said, “I want to do this.”

Kara Newton: And I said there's no way Asheboro’s available, like there's no way. And it just so happened that David had transferred to Greensboro. He'd been on list and I took over this market and I literally just knew that it was God because it was taken and then now it's available and it aligned with me because I was like, I can run ads on what I'm already doing and it's me.

Like an ad I want to do soon. I've talked to my Platform Marketing manager, “the top key to success” and use mindset books and all that, those are things that I already love and teach and I can run ads on that to help people in life. So not only am I doing real estate, but I can also share wisdom or share recipes. I'm back filing really big into what I've been for the last four years is fitness and macros and eating right. And I feel like all of that is a combination of who you are in your success life. And I just was like, this so aligns with me, I can do ads on all this. 

I can do ads on my kids like I'm a proud mom, my daughter's going to college. And it just felt authentic to me ‘cause I was already doing all of that but now I'm just taking somebody and they're putting some money behind it to really rev up my brand. And so for people who maybe have not seen me on my personal wall, they're starting to see me. So that's kind of how I found Platform. And literally, I knew the minute I was on that Zoom, it was exactly what I wanted. And I was like, if this is supposed to be, Asheboro will be available and God just opened the door ‘cause I've been praying about it for six months. 

Tim Chermak: That's super cool to hear. So I haven't heard that story until right now so this is all new to me. So that's cool. Now you're about 6 almost 7 months in and I think what you said that really resonated with me of the biggest early sign that these Platform Marketing ads are working for you is that this is your first January with Platform. 

So last year in January, you weren't yet working with Platform. This is the first time you've rolled into a new year, into January, with Platform Marketing working for you. Maybe someone's listening to this a year or two in the future. We are recording this episode in January of 2024. Last January, you said you had I think one listing? 

Kara Newton: One closing.

Tim Chermak: Or one closing in January. And as of right now, did you say you have 11 in January this year? 

Kara Newton: I had 12, one got pushed out, so I have 11 that's officially enclosed. I've already closed 7. 

Tim Chermak: So in the month of January, by the end of January, you'll have already closed 11. And again, a year ago that number was 1, not 11. So that's a pretty cool leading indicator that now in your first full year with Platform, there seems to be a lot more momentum to your business. Again, I want to repeat, you already had a successful business, but Platform is kind of smoothing out the ups and downs where maybe your business isn't so seasonal or cyclical, where now it's just constantly the phone is ringing and people are messaging you on Facebook and everyone in the community knows who you are. 

Kara, what would you say, in terms of just your day to day experience with Platform, what is the most different since you signed up with Platform? Are people recognizing you more? Are people calling or messaging your page or have you noticed any difference in real life? I have had people say, “Oh, I know you from Facebook.” Has that happened or? 

Kara Newton: Oh yeah. So I was at the DMV the other day getting a new sticker for my car and I walked up and she goes, “Were you shooting a video yesterday at this building downtown?” I was like, “I think so.” She went, “I just saw a lady out there but I just saw her back and she was shooting a video so I just figured it was you ‘cause I see you everywhere.” And it happens all the time. I mean legit, all the time. 

I just had a guy, went to a listing appointment and we're not gonna list ‘til the spring. Again, my average price point's around 230-250. His property is going to list a little under half a million and he's like, “You know, someone mentioned your name. I knew you were selling for somebody, but I saw your sign. I just decided to look you up on Facebook.” And he said, “I only really use Facebook,” he said, “but I just Googled your name, you popped up.” And he said, “The videos are working. I liked your vibe.” And he said, “All right. You're all right. I'm already sold.”

And one thing that really I love, he's probably middle aged, whatever, 50, 60. He said, “I've been doing real estate. I've sold some flips. I had rentals, sold 'em all.” And he said, “I've always used one agent like rubber,” that was his word. And he said, “I'm not calling that agent,” he said, “because you do something different. Does anybody else in Asheboro do anything like this?” And he said, “Also, you spent more time with me tonight here at this listing appointment than the other agent has spent with me in all these other transactions.” He's like, “Don't get me wrong. The other agent I love, we've got a great relationship.” He said, “I'm not calling that agent. I'm just going to hire you,” he said, “I really, really liked your vibe. You do this drone, you can see this property up here above.” But the key point of that was, he used an agent for years, his whole life. And now he's like, I'm only using you, your video sold me. 

So I think that people will notice people going the extra mile. And all these agents who aren't wanting to go the extra mile or just wanting to do that bare basic… Like today I saw a listing and it had underwear on the floor. Okay, guys, were you there at the listing photo shoot? And it's a $350,000 house! And so it's just that agent going that extra mile.

And I don't charge extra. That's what I think people don't understand, they're paying that agent over here the same amount they would pay me but I’m doing so much more. And so I think that that's (why) I'm getting a lot of publicity.

And one other thing is last week, I got a message and they just bought this house. They sold their house. They bought a house I think about a year ago. They decided they want to get something a little bit smaller, a little bit more affordable payment and be more comfortable. They are not using the agent that they sold their house and bought their house with. They messaged my business page and now I'm going to list their house.

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