being able to connect them with the resources and the contractors to make their dream a reality is a lot of fun for me. And it’s definitely fun in comparison to being an attorney—billing every six minutes of my day kind of sucked the fun out of life!” You might not guess it from looking at his success today, but when Rick first started in real estate, he learned some lessons the hard way: When I first started in real estate 20 years ago, I screwed up. I screwed up a lot! If I could take back the first 10 years of my career, I would. I was in my thirties. I thought I knew everything, and that I didn't need to be aligned with anybody or learn from anybody. I was going to reinvent the wheel myself. I went down so many black holes and rabbit holes, rather than just doing proven things that work. For instance, I spent a long time learning to code in all sorts of different internet languages, like Drupal and all that. And if I had just done the proven things that work—like work my referrals, build a sphere of influence, get consistent post-client or post-closing contacts with my people, consistently farm a neighborhood—if I had done anything smart, I would've been retired by now!
In our conversation with Rick, he emphasized the importance of understanding the unique needs of his clients. He shared his approach of treating each listing with the same level of dedication and professionalism, regardless of its market value. Rick's philosophy is rooted in the belief that every client deserves an exceptional real estate experience. He also highlighted the value of learning from others in the industry, demonstrating that success often comes from building upon proven strategies rather than starting from scratch. Rick has always had a passion for real estate, but before becoming a real estate agent he received an MBA in marketing, a law degree, and spent time working as a licensed attorney. He prides himself on being able to spot up-and- coming neighborhoods and helping his clients envision what a home could be with just a bit of renovation. “That's kind of one of my gifts,” says Rick, “seeing the potential of a property and then also being able to estimate the costs on the fly….When a buyer walks in, they get that glint in their eye that this is the one, but there still might be something holding them back. So
What's Rick working on now? You don't have to reinvent the wheel, but you can modernize the wheel. The tools with which an agent markets and serves clients are constantly evolving. We are now in an age where we can employ the "free cognitive labor" that is available to us via artificial intelligence (AI). While all output still requires savvy human input and a final human polish, these tools allow a small independent broker or ambitious career agent to compete head-to-head with larger, more established teams by strategically applying new technologies. Rick recently launched Power AiGENT™ Daily, a newsletter created to identify the best AI tools and how to apply them to real estate. Sign up for this free newsletter at tinyurl.com/rick-authorify.
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