We recently connected with Liz Bragg and have shared our conversation below.

Liz, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Being successful in any industry is hard. Having the right mindset is huge! You are going to fail and you are going to fail a lot. You have to keep making the choice to wake up every day and keep pushing forward.

Second, you have to become and stay an expert at what you do. If the average person knows as much about your industry as you do, then why should they hire you or your company?

Third, you have to watch your expenses. I hate the saying that you have to spend money to make money. The saying is not inaccurate, but it makes people believe that they have risk it all in order to become successful.

Lastly, get out and get involved in your community. There are so many ways to do this! Join your local Chamber of Commerce, AUSA Chapter, sit on a non-profit board, etc. Being around like minded people helps you to further elevate your thinking.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I graduated from Clemson University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. My first job straight out of college was working for a building material company in Greenville, SC. Not long after, the Great Recession occured. I tried several different different career paths trying to find the right fit for me. What I always came back to was construction and real estate. I have worked for several General Contractors and have done everything from basic data entry, to hiring subcontractors, to estimating jobs. I loved the challenge of it all! No two days were ever the same. In 2020 I decided to get my real estate license and pursue owning my own business. I had no idea that the market was about to go insane in the Augusta Metro Market. Launching a business and keeping up with the fast paced market was HARD, but I have loved every minute of it. There really is not a better feeling in the world than helping someone find and purchase a home they love.

I think what most people find interesting about me as a REALTOR® is that I don’t believe that right now is always the best time to buy or sell a home. Yes, selling homes is how I keep a roof over my head, but that does not mean that it’s the right time for YOU to buy or sell a home. Every person’s situation is different. I care about my clients, I care about what is in their overall best interest and sometimes that means telling them I think they should wait.

When someone is referred to me the first thing I do is set up a free consultation. This usually lasts an hour, sometimes longer, because I’m a talker. During this time I get to know the person, what they are trying to do and we go over all of the legal paperwork. The real estate industry is complicated and writing an offer on a home can be very overwhelming for a client if they have never seen the paperwork before. I want my clients to know what they are getting into BEFORE they get into it and be comfortable with the decisions that they are making. For most people, their home is their largest investment!

I believe that to be the best REALTOR® you can be you have to be involved in your community. You have to know your economic data, what is coming to or going from your area, etc. Currently I am an active member of Association of the United States Army, the Aiken County Chamber, on the board for the Sales & Marketing Council with the Builders Association of Metro Augusta, the Harlem Merchants Association, Rotary Club of Columbia County and the Columbia County Chamber where I was a 2022 graduate of the Leadership Columbia County Program and in 2021 was named Ambassador of the Year.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I love to read! I believe that it helps to expand our perspective and helps us to become better people and leaders. My all time favorites are: 1) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Sephen R. Covey
2) It’s Your Ship by D. Michael Abrashoff
3) Ninja Selling by Larry Kendall
4) Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson

The books that I tend to gravitate towards are ones that help me to keep from thinking small!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

This is probably going to sound crazy, but the most effective strategy for growing my business has been to just love on others. To do for others as I would hope that someone would do for me.

Sometimes that means answering a phone call at 11 pm when I usually go to bed at 10 pm because I know my client’s schedule and that’s the easiest time for them to talk. Sometimes that means helping to fundraise for a cause because it’s an issue that is negatively affecting my community. Sometimes it’s just being there for a fellow REALTOR® because their having a really bad day and need a shoulder to cry on.

When people know that you genuinely care about them, that you know what you are doing, then referrals just seems to happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lizbraggrealtor.com
• Instagram: @lizbraggrealtor
• Facebook: @RealtorLizBragg