In Episode 33 of the Wandering But Not Lost Podcast, co-hosts Matt Emerson and Jan O’Brien continue their series on Team Building with Strategy #2 – Four Archetypes and How They Fit in Teams. They sit down with Las Vegas Real Estate Legend Rich Brodkin to discuss how he built the #3 Team in the state of Nevada as well as some exciting news that is breaking in the Las Vegas Real Estate World. Matt continues his 5-part series on Olympic National Park. Today – the rainforests of the park.

Key Points/Takeaways

WBNL 52 – Real Estate Team Building Strategy #2: Four Archetypes and How They Fit in Teams

The second strategy is all about identifying where people fit into any organization. It will probably no be a shock to you, but many people wouldn’t even slot themselves into the correct bucket. What you’d like to be and what you are can sometimes be entirely different. In this tip we’ll cover:

Know the Four Types and Where You and Other Potential Team Members Fit
- The Entrepreneur
- The Manager
- The Individual Contributor
- The Hobbyist/Part-Timer

Have you downloaded our Real Estate Business Assessment and taken the self-assessment of your current business and systems that we introduced in Strategy #1? If not, now is the time.

We have asked this question thousands of times to brokers and agents…

If you hire 10 people to your company – how many are going to make it in the real estate business?

The answer is NEVER more than 2!

Many managers and trainers believe they can ”fix” people. They are confident that because their company has the best tools, training, and support and that they care and are a great manager, they can get most of these new agents to be successful in the business.

Here’s the reality – you can’t fix people. They are who they are! Each person comes with their own degree of self-confidence, personality traits, behaviors and success characteristics.

Now, they all have the dream and wish to be successful in the real estate business. Success for many first-year real estate agents is typically to earn $100,000. It is possible to earn this in the first year if the agent is ready, willing, and able to get out of their comfort zone and get in front of enough people who need their service – to buy or sell real estate. It also requires great sales skill, inventory (market) knowledge, and technical expertise. This business requires constant, ongoing education and training. And, as always, experience is the best teacher.

So, why do so many fail in this business? Why are approximately 75% of agents out of the business within the first two years of being licensed?

Our collective experience and observations suggest the following:

Approximately 10-15% of the active agent population enjoys great success and are the highest income earners – the “Top Producers”.
This top group of people exhibits common characteristics that lead to this ultimate business success.
Most licensees have an employee-mindset and never make the shift to an entrepreneur and small business owner.
Most licensees are not willing to do what it takes to make it in commission-sales based industry.

Three of the following four major types of individuals who, once identified, fit into a real estate team-building model. To better understand the three types let’s take a look at the following factors for each group:

Risk vs. Security
Specific behaviors and characteristics
Desired role and responsibilities

The Entrepreneur (Team Leader)

The calculated risk-taker
They are not afraid to work alone
Natural salesman, enjoy the art of the deal (the rainmakers)
They are driven, success-oriented, persistent
Type-A personality, the controllers/drivers with a solid work ethic
FIT: The Top Producers…Team Leader or Individual Lead Agent (approximately 5-10% of the population)

The Manager (Team/Office Manager)

This is the person who prefers to manage, supervise, and coach others
Their motivation is to give back, to inspire, to build confidence in others
They are comfortable being “second in command”
They generally have management/supervisory experience prior to real estate
They are more detail-oriented, good administrators and systemizers
The risk factor is moderate to low
FIT: Team Manager/Office Manager (approximately 20% of the population)

The Individual Contributor (Admins/Team Associates)

Represents the largest portion of the population
They prefer to work in a group environment
Security influences this person – not big risk-takers
Prefer to be a contributing member of a team
Typically, this person needs and desires support systems, direction, mentoring, and leadership to thrive and succeed
They generally come from an employee background and are used to and really want structure and accountability
They are the belongers
FIT: Team Associate, Buyers Agent, Licensed Admin Assistant, Hourly/Salaried Employee (approximately 30-40% of the population)

The Hobbyist / Part-Timer

An estimated 40% of licensees are in this group. Many will ultimately exit the real estate industry because they simply do not fit or they will maintain a license as a “hobbyist” or part-timer. You may find suitable admin assistants and occasionally a solid team associate from this group if their commitment and priorities have changed.

Reach Your Peak – Real Estate Legend, Rich Brodkin

Rich Brodkin
Co-Founder and CEO, Home Connect America
President and CEO, The Brodkin Group

Richard is the CEO, and he would be the first to tell you he is no more important than any agent who comes to work here. If ever there was a team effort or a “we’re in it together” mentality, this place has it, which has proven to be a win-win. A win for the agents (new and seasoned) who have an outstanding track record and a win for the company which is growing at a phenomenal pace.

What We Believe

We are a people and company made up of “like-minded” individuals. We believe in diversity and the dignity of all people. We treat our clients and each other with mutual respect. We believe in “self-responsibility” and do not blame others for things that go wrong. We look at the company as “our” company. It’s a place where we all experience both “personal and professional” growth and an environment that brings out the best in each of us. Our culture is about our commitment to our clients, to each other and our strategic business partners.

“The Brodkin Group is about helping people have a great life. Realizing their life’s dreams, not about the company maximizing their profit,” says Rich. How the company helps agents is unique from the extensive manual they have compiled to their in-house training. Everything is designed with the agent input for agent betterment, and it begins the minute a new agent walks through the door.

This sense of being a part of a greater whole has a marked effect on agents. It shows with the level of commitment and camaraderie and is nurtured through a series of integrated programs. “It’s like a pie,” says Rich. “Training is one part. Attitude is another part. Caring is another part. It’s just a whole bunch of parts that make up the whole.” The Star of this pie is the training program. Training classes for newly licensed agents are mandatory and free of charge. Organized into 23 modules the classes are taught by Rich and team trainers.

Classes are in modules so agents can jump in any time, and are continually updated with input taken from everyone within the company. Believing that about 95 percent of what agents learn in real estate school they will never use, Rich set out to teach the “how to” actually run a business. “ We tell them you’re everything from the janitor to the CEO,” Rich explains. “So you’re going to have to do your own budgeting, lead generation, making decisions about when it’s time to go to the next level, and how to start from scratch and build a business. It’s a very short period of time. Last year half of the top 10 percent of production for the office was from agents with three or less years in the business. Rich Brodkin believes that is a direct result of the training.

In addition to the initial training classes, The Brodkin Group provides one-on-one mentoring to close transactions quickly and help with cash flow needs.

Wandering Zen – Olympic National Park: The Rainforests

In this 5-part series, we explore Olympic National Park. We’ll share our travel log, the hits, the misses, the missed, and the reasons we can’t wait to go back again. PART 2 – The Rainforests.

As we mentioned in Part 1, Olympic National Park’s ecosystems are about as diverse as you’re going to get in any National Park. When I’ve heard people tell their tales of the trail from Olympic the stories that always fascinated me the most were about the rainforests. I’ve done a lot of wandering over the years yet rainforests have eluded me. I was excited to check that off the list on my recent visit.

A few rainforest facts before we wander…

There are two types of rainforests – tropical and temperate. They share some of the same characteristics such as being rich in plant and animal species, and the vegetation is dense, tall and very green. Tropical rainforests are warm and moist, while temperate rainforests are cooler and can be on the dryer side.

Tropical rainforest lie between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, where they receive an incredible regular rainfall throughout the year of up to 400 inches. 57% percent of all tropical rainforests are found in Latin America with one-third of those in Brazil. Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands make up another 25 % and 18% are located in West Africa. The only tropical rainforest in the United States is on the island of Puerto Rico.

Temperate rainforests are found along some coasts in temperate zones. The largest temperate rainforests are found on the Pacific coast of North America. They stretch from Oregon to Alaska for 1,200 miles. Smaller temperate rainforests can be found on the southeast coast of Chile in South America.

Olympic’s Rainforests

Access to the rainforests, as just about everything within the park, is by US 101. This part of the route runs along the western side of the Olympic Mountains and you pass dense forests, the city of Forks (which may sound familiar if you are a Twilight fan) and runs along the coast from Ruby Beach to South Beach – we’ll cover the beaches in Part 4. The Hoh and the Quinault areas are the easiest to access, with parking lots and conveniences near the trailheads.

Hoh Rainforest

The Hoh Rainforest is one of the best remaining examples of a temperate rainforest in the United States and a visit here should be one on your list. It’s about a two-hour drive from Port Angeles and under an hour from Forks. Watch for the sign to the Upper Hoh Road, off of Highway 101. From that junction, you will travel 18 miles up to the parking area, Visitor Center and trailheads.

If you look closely at the base of these trees you can see the ‘Nursey Tree’ below.

There are two short trails that get you quickly into the rainforest experience; the Hall of Mosses Trail (.8 miles), and the Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles). As you are wandering the Spruce Nature Trail it’s easy to get the sense that around the next corner you just may encounter a Triceratops or Brachiosaurus. The mosses and ferns abound and definitely give you that Jurassic feeling. This trail touches the Hoh River, in all of its icy blue/green glacial silt beauty. There you can look off to the northwest toward Mt. Olympus and enjoy the beauty of the foothills and the Olympic Mountains beyond. Then it’s back into the forest where you’ll pass wildflowers, mushrooms, huge conifers, and small streams. Fallen trees turn into ‘Nurseries’ for future life. It is amazing to see the life that springs up from these nurseries. We visited in the late afternoon after the visitor center had closed for the day and most people were already heading back out so we were lucky to have the trails pretty much to ourselves which made the experience even better. It was so incredibly peaceful and the sounds of the forest became a quiet symphony of nature, the buzzing, the wind, the streams all performed as we took it all in.

The first 12 miles of the Upper Hoh Road outside the park is a mosaic of second growth, third growth and pastures. Logging, clearing for homesteads and market hunting of elk changed the look of this valley. Even 100 years ago, there was concern that humans were altering the landscape on a grand scale. Olympic National Park was created in 1938 to preserve “the finest example of primeval forest…and provide permanent protection for the herds of native Roosevelt elk.” Thus, the Hoh Valley from the park boundary to Mount Olympus looks much like it has for 5,000 years. Of the park’s estimated 3-4,000 elk, 400-500 live in the Hoh Valley today. In a world of diminishing resources, this forest has become valuable to people for many reasons. The beauty and tranquility found here is one of this country’s rare treasures. It is a gift of ocean, rain, river, mountains, and the wisdom of past generations, ours to cherish and care for in turn. ~ from the National Park Service Website

ROAD CONSTRUCTION: The Hoh Rain Forest will be closed at the park boundary for major road repair work beginning September 5, 2018, through October 5, 2018. There will be no public access during this time. The Hoh Campground will be open for camping through the Labor Day holiday and then closed during the road repairs. To experience temperate rainforest during this time, check out the Quinault Rain Forest.

Quinault Rainforest

Lake Quinault Lodge

Located about 1.5 hours or 73 miles south of the Hoh rainforest you’ll find another must-see example of a temperate rainforest. Once you turn onto South Shore Road you are just a short drive to the trailhead parking area, but before you head in, continue down the road a bit and take a stop at the Lake Quinault Lodge. built in 1926, this rustic building sits on prime Lake Quinault real estate. If you have time, enjoy breakfast or lunch in their dining room with great views of the lake. There’s one

World’s largest Sitka Spruce

more stop before you head to the rainforest. Continue heading up the road a bit more and you’ll see the trailhead for the world’s largest Sitka spruce. The short trail leads you to the tree with a circumference of 58 feet, 11 inches, a diameter of 18 feet, 9 inches and which stands191 feet tall. This wasn’t on our radar, but it was a little diamond in the ruff! Now that you’ve seen a bit of the area, you can head back to the rainforest trailhead. This isn’t the only rainforest trail in the area, however, it’s easily accessible and beautiful. It’s an interpretive trail so you learn about the rainforests along the way. It doesn’t take long before you can tell you’ve entered a different ecosystem. The plants and trees become denser and the air becomes a bit more humid. Quickly you feel like you are a million miles and million years away. The forest here seemed a bit moister than the Hoh and because of the orientation on a hill, it provided a completely different experience.