From Solo Agent, to Team Lead, to Inc 500 Broker Owner 🔥🚀 |Founders Club ft. Kevin Markarian

Explicit content warning

01/29/20 • 76 min

How do you start over in a new market and compete with established top producers? Kevin Markarian did it by investing online leads and developing follow-up systems for high-level conversion. Eventually, Kevin built a team and then a brokerage to support the lead flow, and he continues to leverage the best available digital tools to manage his growing real estate empire.

Connect with Founders Club Host Oliver Graf on Instagram: @OliverGraf360

Kevin is the Broker-Owner at Marker Real Estate, a wildly successful brokerage out of San Francisco with regional offices throughout California. Since its founding in 2014, Marker has become known as one of the nation’s most innovative companies and earned a spot on the Inc. 500. As a thought leader in the industry, Kevin is a regular contributor to RIS Media and Inman News, and he has served as a panelist and speaker for the National Association of Realtors.

On this episode of Founders Club, Kevin joins Oliver to explain how he got his start in real estate working for a developer in the Central Valley and what he did to start over in San Francisco after the crash. He shares what inspired him to go all-in on online leads, discussing how the Marker Real Estate systems empower agents to grow their business. Listen in for insight on Kevin’s 1985 Bears Defense approach to marketing and learn how he is outsourcing his proven model to support others.

Key Takeaways

[1:48] How Kevin got his start in real estate

Grew up in Modesto, introduced to broker at age 20
Hired on with top developer in 2003 (became #1 agent)

[8:26] Kevin’s transition from Modesto to San Francisco

Made decision to fail big in big city after crash
Started buying leads, building SOI before move

[16:17] The AHA moment Kevin went all-in on online leads

NAR session on managing high volume of leads
Bought all of San Francisco County from Realtor.com
Built team to handle lead flow, CRM to track

[27:50] What differentiates Marker Real Estate as a brokerage

ISA team responds to online leads, sets appointments
Long-term follow-up system = high conversion rate

[36:15] How Marker Real Estate is growing now

Expand to other markets throughout California
Partner with others to use model in their business

[42:25] Kevin’s strategy for growing his business

Connect with hard-working, collaborative people
Leverage digital tools to be everywhere all the time

[50:52] Kevin’s 1985 Bears Defense approach to marketing

Blast target audience with email, text and calls
Become celebrity to client base on social media

[59:43] The art of building duplicatable systems

Keep it simple and battle test them yourself
Ask others to document for your review

[1:04:50] What Kevin is investing in now

Natural hazard disclosure, mortgage ventures
Profit centers related to real estate business

Connect with Kevin

Marker Real Estate

Marker Advantage

Marker Concierge

Connect with Oliver

Do me a solid and...

Find me on Instagram: @OliverGraf360

SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/c/OliverGrafTV

CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL HERE: http://www.OliverGraf.tv/Social

Connect with Founders Club Host Oliver Graf on Instagram: @OliverGraf360

Key Takeaways

[1:48] How Kevin got his start in real estate

Grew up in Modesto, introduced to broker at age 20
Hired on with top developer in 2003 (became #1 agent)

[8:26] Kevin’s transition from Modesto to San Francisco

Made decision to fail big in big city after crash
Started buying leads, building SOI before move

[16:17] The AHA moment Kevin went all-in on online leads

NAR session on managing high volume of leads
Bought all of San Francisco County from Realtor.com
Built team to handle lead flow, CRM to track

[27:50] What differentiates Marker Real Estate as a brokerage

ISA team responds to online leads, sets appointments
Long-term follow-up system = high conversion rate

[36:15] How Marker Real Estate is growing now

Expand to other markets throughout California
Partner with others to use model in their business

[42:25] Kevin’s strategy for growing his business

Connect with hard-working, collaborative people
Leverage digital tools to be everywhere all the time

[50:52] Kevin’s 1985 Bears Defense approach to marketing

Blast target audience with email, text and calls
Become celebrity to client base on social media

[59:43] The art of building duplicatable systems

Keep it simple and battle test them yourself
Ask others to document for your review

[1:04:50] What Kevin is investing in now

Natural hazard disclosure, mortgage ventures
Profit centers related to real estate business

Connect with Kevin

Marker Real Estate

Marker Advantage

Marker Concierge

Connect with Oliver

Do me a solid and...

Find me on Instagram: @OliverGraf360

SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/c/OliverGrafTV

CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL HERE: http://www.OliverGraf.tv/Social

Previous Episode

How Rodrigo Built a $100M+ Per Year Mortgage Business 🏆💰 | Founders Club ft. Rodrigo Ballon

What separates Rodrigo ‘El Zorro’ Ballon from other mortgage lenders? For one, he’s responsive. He answers his phone on nights and weekends—and has systems in place to field calls when he’s not available. He does his homework, making it a point to learn about the agents he’s prospecting. And he’s fast. Rodrigo’s average close is 14 days, beating the industry standard by a full week. So, how does he do it?

Connect with Founders Club Host Oliver Graf on Instagram: @OliverGraf360

Rodrigo is the Producing Branch Manager at CrossCountry Mortgage and one of the top loan originators in the United States. In 2014, he ranked #1 for purchase volume in San Diego Country, and his team has closed more than $100M in volume every year since 2011. Rodrigo has also received numerous awards from San Diego Magazine and Five Star Professional.

On this episode of Founders Club, Rodrigo joins Oliver to explain how he built a world-class lending business and why investors, agents and consumers like working with him. He shares his automated systems for communicating with clients and marketing to an agent’s database as well as his extra-mile approach to prospecting realtors. Listen in for insight on how to qualify for a mortgage loan and learn about the non-QM loan products available to business owners and entrepreneurs!

Key Takeaways

[1:13] How Rodrigo built a $100M/year lending business

Start as admin assistant for loan officer
Rely on sphere as loan officer in downturn
Known for ‘impossible loans’ (El Zorro)
Largest lender for flippers in 2011
Met agents through working with investors

[12:20] Why people like working with Rodrigo

Reliability and perseverance
Track record of closing quickly

[15:18] The tech Rodrigo uses to communicate with clients

Video text to client with iPhone
Automated systems to contact agent leads

[22:59] Rodrigo’s insight on delegating email response

READ folder for things he needs to address
Assign to people you trust, know you well

[29:06] Rodrigo’s approach to prospecting realtors

Do recon on Facebook to find things in common
Research current lender, average time to close
Gifts with WOW factor (e.g.: champagne)

[37:21] How Rodrigo compensates agents for referrals

Send buyer referrals to sphere
Support agents with marketing systems

[44:30] Rodrigo’s availability on nights and weekends

Answered phone when wife in labor
Pop by open houses with cookies
Stop what doing to qualify client NOW

[49:25] How Rodrigo facilitates a 14-day average close

Get loans approved ahead of time
Rely on backend team to handle volume
Leverage experience (don’t rely on underwriter)

[57:10] The ‘free money’ available via loan products

Bank statement loans for entrepreneurs
680 credit score + 10% down to qualify $1.5M

[1:03:20] Rodrigo’s advice on qualifying for a mortgage loan

Manage credit (don’t max out, pay on time)
Don’t buy car or change jobs
Consult with mortgage banker for credit simulator

[1:16:44] How to reduce your mortgage from 30 to 22 years

Make two additional payments per year
Write separate check, specify ‘apply to principal’

[1:19:17] What Rodrigo is investing in

Green investments
Ground-up development in Utah near ski resorts

[1:23:45] Rodrigo’s top tools for running a business

Crisp keyboard templates
WhatsApp for foreign national clients
Dropbox for security

Connect with Rodrigo

CrossCountry Mortgage

Rodrigo on LinkedIn

Connect with Oliver

Do me a solid and...

Find me on Instagram: @OliverGraf360

SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/c/OliverGrafTV

CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL HERE: http://www.OliverGraf.tv/Social

Next Episode

The Most Successful Digital Marketer Reveals His Secrets 🔥💸 | Founders ft. Ryan Deiss

Are you trying to predict what’s next in digital marketing? If you ask Ryan Deiss, effective marketing is not about being on the cutting edge. It’s about leaning into what’s working right NOW. And you might be surprised what channels matter most for growing your business in this moment.

Connect with Founders Club Host Oliver Graf on Instagram: @OliverGraf360

Ryan is the Cofounder and CEO of Digital Marketer, the premiere training platform for growing your business online. Known as one of the world’s leading digital marketers, Ryan created the well-known Customer Value Optimization methodology and used it to start multiple companies around the globe. He is also the Cofounder of the Traffic and Conversion Summit, the largest digital marketing conference in North America, and Ryan is a sought-after speaker and recognized expert on marketing in the online era.

On this episode of Founders Club, Ryan joins Oliver to share his secrets for managing multiple ventures at once, discussing how his leadership team is structured and what responsibilities he outsources to an executive assistant. Ryan walks us through his journey from selling eBooks for extra money as a college freshman to CEO of Digital Marketer, describing the pivotal moment when he jotted down what has become the customer value journey—on the back of a napkin at a hotel bar. Listen in for Ryan’s surprising insight around what marketing channels are hot right now and learn how you can implement his one-page marketing plan to grow your real estate business!

Key Takeaways

[1:09] How Ryan manages multiple ventures at once