We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Maley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael , thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I think some people mistake a real estate agent as a pushy car salesman. I have always looked at my profession much differently. I see myself as a guide and an advisor to the clients I am honored to have. I had one goal when starting this career and every business I have subsequently started after, that are all real estate related. My goal was to build long lasting relationships. If you build relationships in a sales role, you will never have to worry about business coming your way. Build relationships in a way unrelated to what you are selling you will reap the rewards 10x those that do not put relationship building first. I have always known in my own personal world that I work with people and do not question the pricing of those that I have a personal relationship with. Everyone wants to work with someone they know, they understand and they feel comfortable with. Once you establish that relationship, and create a brand that they can follow, learn more about you and feel more comfortable with you, you will have no shortage of clients.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a 32 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. I have sold real estate now since 2011 and I have truly every loved every minute of the up and down roller coaster this journey is! This journey has led me far beyond helping folks through the buying and selling process. I have helped hundreds of clients start their dream of home ownership, hundreds more start their dream of owning rental properties and so much more. The problems I solve are as simple as proper negotiation and communication between two parties and as complex as buying a small town property myself so my client could finish her purchase here in Omaha (long story) and everything in between. Ultimately I think I get hired for my ability to affectively solve problems with ease and not add stress to my clients.

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

Being genuine and true to yourself. People again want to work with professionals who they trust and who are authentic. I have met so many sales people who are not either of those things and it makes the process super unfriendly and fake. In my industry people are purchasing the most expensive purchase they likely will ever make and the way you handle it, the experience you give them will stick with them forever. Being a genuine relationship builder, advisor and guide has led me to opportunities I would never have had with clients I would have never gotten if I was anything different. This a slow build strategy though, this will not get instant results or profits. But done correctly overtime, the short term will not matter.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Once I build the genuine relationship I do a few things to manage and foster the brand loyalty. First step? Social media, I have an amazing social media staff that not only posts my day to day listings, solds, and happenings but makes me do video about once a week. This gives a face with the them and has led hundreds of my followers to see a more fun, genuine side of me. Beyond that, that is the base, I utilize my house, my other entertainment options, sporting events, etc to do client giveaways and parties. These parties are not real estate based, they are just fun to come hang out. But it constantly puts me in front of my clients and them in front of me.

Contact Info:

• Website: M2RealEstateOmaha.com
• Instagram: MichaelMaleyOmaha
• Facebook: Michael Maley, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
• Linkedin: Michael Maley

Image Credits
@GloryVisuals