Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin Schindler
Hi Colin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Colin Schindler and I have always had an entrepreneurial mind set. From middle school through most of college, I had a lawn mowing/shoveling “business” It started by walking the neighborhood knocking on doors (pre driving), to about 20 or so consistent clients by the time I was ready to move on to other ventures. I studied communications at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse and I truly had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life. My Aunt, a very successful Edward Jones Financial Advisor inspired me to get rolling down that career path, but I soon found out that was not for me. I wanted to work hard, but I also wanted to have fun. I took a little hiatus from professional life and moved out to Vail Colorado where I skied and worked in the service industry for a couple of years. I had gotten my fill of fun, and I realized it was time to move back home, although I was still unsure of what I was going to do. I connected with my old hockey coach, Otis Johnson, to see what he was up to and he had just opened up his own RE/MAX franchise. My parents had always told me that I would be good at selling real estate, Otis had always pushed me in hockey, and I went home to get signed up for the test that very day. I was incredibly lucky to get my first listing not too long there after. I knew that I wanted to do things differently and that I had to stand out, so I decided that it was important to make a fun (and even somewhat silly) listing video. I threw on my bathrobe and thus the Robed Realtor was born. It was the goal all along to make a successful go at real estate but I couldn’t have entirely envisioned what developing that persona would have turned into. There have been plenty of robe themed videos, but it never stopped there. I consider myself to be a marketer first and foremost and creating all kinds of different “commercials” is what I truly love. This style of marketing slingshotted me into a level of business I am blessed to be able to do. I am consistency in the top ranks of agents not just in the RE/MAX brand, but across all brokerages. I have created a pretty consistent “fan base”, a viral parody music video, spoken at our Global RE/MAX conference and more. I have been lucky enough to handle about 300 real estate transactions in under 5 years and help so many amazing people along the way. I have helped people the same way that I have been helped as I certainly did not come this far along. My amazing family, friends, and colleagues have all been right there every step of the way and I couldn’t have done it without them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I make the job look easy and fun, and to be honest… I do have a TON of fun with it. However, real estate is not quite as simple and easy as people may think. There are a lot of stressors happening in the background that people do not see. It truly is a 24/7 365 job. These transactions are typically the biggest financial decision people will make and I find it incredibly important to always be there for my clients. If I am awake, I am generally working, and if I am not working it still is in the back of my mind somewhere. Even if I am asleep, there are plenty of occupational details that find their way to creep in and keep you up at night. I don’t think that I would change how I operate my business even if I could, but there is certainly a toll that it takes to perform at a high level. That along side of the fast paced transactional market that we had been in for a few years, I unfortunately had to miss a lot of time with family and friends because of the amount of hours I was working and running around. Even when I was physically present, my phone has lived in my hand the past 4 years and I may have not always been “there”, even if I was. Overall these factors are worth it. I have been working to slow things down a little and work smarter and not harder!
We’ve been impressed with RE/MAX Ignite, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My office that I work out of is RE/MAX Ignite. Real estate agents act as independent contractors under the supervision of a managing broker. Our office is truly the best. The entire marketing effort behind every one in the office cannot be matched in the area. We may not be the largest in the area, but we certainly stand out the most. Of course we have the experience to back it as well and offer top notch professional services but when you are selling, isn’t the best marketing the most important thing? It is! And we have that!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
My creativity is like my superpower. I believe that everyone has natural talents and abilities and mine just so happens to be creativity. I never sit down to try and drum up ideas, they truly just come to me, and often times in the spur of the moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://colin-schindler.remax.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robedrealtor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robedrealtor
- Youtube: @therobedrealtor
