We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jett Gibson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jett, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
The biggest challenge one faces in this industry is patience and the willingness to not give up. Statically, 80% of people that enter Real Estate will give up and quit after their first year. That number goes to 90% after year two. The reason for this is because most people don’t understand that it’s not selling homes that is the part, it’s finding the people to buy those homes, that is the hard part. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes that the average person doesn’t see, and once they get in, they realize that not everything is what it seems. People are also terrified of rejection and will get discouraged from being told no, because in this business, you’ll get 9 No’s before you get 1 yes (and that’s being generous).
Jett, 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?
Columbus is Home to me, being born and raised here, it is all I know, and I know it well. I’ve been in the industry for 4 years now, I’ve learned many things and met many great people. Before Real Estate, I worked in the restaurant industry, where I learned many of social skills. As simple as it sounds, one of the things we do to separate ourselves from others is we Prepare. Not only do we prepare ourselves but we prepare our clients. We take the time to meet with our clients for a one on one consultation before we even start the process of buying a new home or selling our current. Getting into the market is a very exciting time! A very anxious time, but we must remember to take a step back and discuss a plan of action, especially with our ever so changing market these days. During our Consultation, we will discuss what our relationship will look like, what to expect from the process, important things to know, expectations, and more. Our goal is to make our clients feel as comfortable and confident as much as we are in this process. And that’s what I believe sets us apart!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Early on in my career, I came across a point where like everyone else, nothing seemed to be working for me. Covid had devastated the World and many people lost their jobs as a result, including many of my clients. Due to Covid, many were afraid to sell their home with the uncertainty of what was to come, creating a shortage of inventory. Then, interest rates dropped to an all time low, creating many people wanting to buy, which only added to the inventory shortage that we were facing (and are still facing). At one point, I was having to do doordash to keep up with my bills, and having to use credit cards for other bills. I was ready to call it quits. But I hung in there, and a few clients turned into contracts, and those contracts turned into closing, and I was able to stay in Real Estate.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Early on in my career, I wasn’t comfortable making phone calls whatsoever. I always stuck to texting. But I came to a realization that I wasn’t building relationships that way. It was very bland and it was for myself and others to engage in real conversation. However, making phone calls was not easy for me, in fact it was a “new” concept to me as I had always been one to just text, even in my personal life. I often found myself not knowing what to say, leading me to stutter, mumble, and constantly use the everlasting “uhm”. But through years of practice and repetition, I was able to get over my fears of calling, and I can now partake in truly meaningful and engaging conversation over the phone.
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