We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Miller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today
When I started in real estate 13 years ago my mentor gave me two pieces of very sound advice. He said, if you do nothing else, learn the contract (referencing the Residential Purchase Agreement, or offer) and… make videos. He told me videos were the future, but of course I didn’t listen. I let my fear of being in front of the camera prevent me from jumping in and making beneficial content that could have helped me share valuable information while growing my online presence. Fast forward to the present, and many agents who got in front of the camera were able to amass a strong following and gain credibility, allowing them to in turn attract more clients. It sometimes feels like it’s too late to start, and it’s easier to wish I had 13 years of content behind me, but I realize that in another decade I’ll wish I had jumped in now, so I started doing videos last year – and surprise – it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be! I have some catching up to do, but I truly think sharing information is a valuable way to scale more quickly than keeping quiet!
Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
The majority of agents find real estate as a second or third career, often later in life. As a result of all of the reality shows glamorizing the industry, we’ve seen an influx of younger agents, but I got my license when I was 24 years old, back in 2011 when the market was down. I studied Psychology, worked as a behavioral therapist for children with Autism, lived abroad, and then came back to LA to be close to my Mom, who had cancer. After she passed, I chose to stay and shadow my Dad in his real estate business instead of moving abroad again. When I realized that what he did every day was actually really fulfilling and enjoyable, I got my license. I was so lucky to have such a patient and knowledgeable mentor in my father. He was able to teach me the “old school” ways of negotiating and helping clients, and ensured I truly understood the paperwork and processes. This changed how I approached my own business because I was so focused on the details and why things were done that it allowed me to explain it to my clients and even teach it to my colleagues. Within 3 years I was teaching weekly classes in our office, and mentoring new agents, helping them learn the ropes. My Dad really set me up for success with how much knowledge he imparted on me – and I love getting to pay it forward to the agents that are on my team. If only I had listened to his advice about making videos – turns out he knew what he was talking about!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The reality is that I was very lucky at the start of my career to have some incredible people in my life that put their trust in me. I was able to help them with their purchases (and eventually their sales), and in doing so it led to new client referrals and neighbors reaching out. The fact that I was in my mid-20s when I started in the industry also allowed my business to grow and evolve with the changing needs of those around me. I have been blessed to get to help so many of my friends buy their first homes, and then go on to sell those homes and buy their next home as their life plans change. There is something truly special about getting to help someone you know and love find their home – it’s such a rewarding experience! It works both ways though, as so many of my clients have become genuine friends. By the end of their transaction you’re so invested in their story and their new chapter you feel so privileged to get to be a part of their journey!
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
Somehow there is never a dull moment in real estate. Just when you think you’ve planned for everything and nothing can surprise you, something strange will pop up and you think – how has this never happened before? We navigate some pretty bizarre situations – from the Buyer of one of our listings going to jail (he got out in time to close escrow), break-ins at vacant properties, stepping straight through floorboards (this happened twice!), or our clients forgetting to tell us that they’ll be out of the country when we need their ink signature. You have to expect the unexpected – and then pivot quickly to solve the problem. While there are always hurdles to climb, we usually get through them and get our clients to the finish line without fear of things falling apart. However, just this year I was helping very dear clients sell their LA home to move out of state. It was a lot of work up front, but we were set up for a very smooth escrow and everything was lining up beautifully – until it wasn’t. We were days away from closing and the lender gave us an understandable reason for a delay. Days turned into weeks, and the lender was giving excuses that didn’t add up. It turned out that the lender wasn’t able to do the loan and he suggested we cancel the escrow. We quickly got our preferred lender in front of the Buyers (who weren’t our clients) and we started the loan process over – new loan, new review, new appraisal – and we closed the escrow in 10 days. Sounds like a simple timing delay, but on the backend our Seller was going to lose the house they were trying to buy in their new state if we didn’t pull it off, so the stakes were high. It wasn’t about the deal going through – we were dealing with our clients’ hopes and dreams, their investments, their homes – these are life changing moves. We were so thankful to have such a strong lender in our back-pocket, and a great relationship with all the agents involved. We were able to work together as a giant team to make sure both the Buyers and our Sellers got the houses they wanted. We can’t control every part of a transaction, but this one proved that who is on your team truly matters!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jessicamillergroup.com
- Instagram: @justaskjessmiller
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamillergroup/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JessicaMillerGroup
Image Credits
Engel Studios
RZM Media