Top Takeaways from 2023 Mega Agent Camp

“Don’t let others cosign your dreams.”

– Molly Bloom

Leading up to this summer’s CEO Summit and Mega Agent Camp, our team invested about 1,500 hours to interview 300+ agents and select 80 to appear on stage. We also pulled together the best one-pagers and playbooks from this and past events for The Millionaire Real Estate Playbook, Vol 1. Our goal remains for every attendee to leave with actionable insights to make their business better. Here are my favorite ahas, takeaways, and quotes from the event!

CEO Summit

“The 12 People Mistakes CEOs Make.”

Writing this segment with Gary was cathartic, to say the least. I’ve made every one of these mistakes, some multiple times. Gary summed it up when he said, “Business is easy. People are hard.” The good news? If you can make hunting for talent a habit, almost all of the other mistakes get easier or less likely.

Tony DiCello​
Tony helped build MAPS Coaching with his partner Dianna Kokoszka. He’s coached some of the best agents in the industry for decades. Many of our top coaches credit his mentorship. These quotes hit home for me:

1. Tony’s three things that make an exceptional coach:
   1. You’ve gotta care more about their business than they do. You work harder on getting their goals than they do. You will battle with them and won’t give up, even if they do.
   2. You have to be a great listener. You have to listen from the first word out of their mouth – you can tell from how people say hello how they are feeling.
   3. There’s got to be accountability. You have to be strong enough to hold people accountable. Hold the same coaching call each week.
2. “Consistency. The more boring you are, the richer you are. Consistency in coaching compounds the same way. Get comfortable with boredom.”

Molly Bloom

When injuries ended Molly’s Olympic skiing career, she started a multimillion-dollar, international, private poker game. Caught in an FBI sting, she lost everything a second time. Molly’s Game tells her incredible story and was made into a nail-biter of a film, Today, she has rebuilt her life as an author and speaker. Some gems from Molly:

1. “The thing that’s going to get you there or hold you back is your mind.”
2. “Your problem isn’t the voice in your head, it’s that you’re listening to it.”
3. “Take radical responsibility for your life.”

Jeremy Hills

A former collegiate running back, Jeremy is the founder of The Kollective, an elite gym that has grown into a multimillion-dollar enterprise in three short years. My AHA’s from Jeremy:

1. “When you’re young and people know you for who you were, it’s hard for them to imagine who you are becoming.”
2. “Most people are too focused on goals by [a deadline]. Instead, ask, ‘What am I willing to do no matter how long it takes?’”
3. “Do not allow yourself to compare yourself to the idea of where others believe you should be. Respect your journey. You’ve got to take the bold moves that it takes to move to winning.”

Tim Grover

Tim spent decades coaching world-class athletes. He was Michael Jordan’s personal trainer, before working with Kobe Bryant and other champions. His book W1NNING is all about the mindset of champions. Some favorites from Tim:

1. Interested vs obsessed. “Interested is a hobby…Obsessed isn’t a bad word, it’s the only way to be your best.”
2. “Be careful who you give your heartbeats to, you can never get them back.”
3. “Winning is not normal.” This is easy for top achievers to forget!

Ryan Holiday

Ryan gave a great talk from The Obstacle is the Way. I interview him right after his talk, so I don’t have any quotes. I was too focused on figuring out the best questions to ask. Sorry. You’ll just have to read the book, you won’t regret it.

​Mega Agent Camp

Market Update

You probably didn’t need us to remind you that mortgage interest rates are at 20-year highs and inventory is at all-time lows. There are some bright spots.

1. 2023 is on pace to be the fifth best year in terms of available volume per agent. Even with few transactions, we can all hit our income goals.
2. Almost four in ten homeowners own their homes outright. Three in ten have a 50% equity position or higher. These homeowners have options.
3. Dream Car vs Dream Home. For every $50,000 financed for a car purchase, you take on the equivalent of $200,000 in mortgage debt. And that is a huge tradeoff. Cars are depreciating assets. Keep the paid-off car and move up!

Hustle Culture vs Happy Culture

1. We can be successful in every area of our life and still be unhappy. Happiness can’t be left to chance. Make it a priority.
2. We are all entitled to the emotions we experience as a reaction to our circumstances. It’s okay to be happy or sad, elated or disappointed, proud or embarrassed, angry or calm. We get into trouble when we hold on to those feelings.
3. Our disposition is largely a choice. We can choose to be happy no matter our circumstances.
4. At the end of our lives, we want to say, “I’m glad I did,” instead of, “I wish I had.”
5. “Give yourself over to something bigger than yourself.” – Gary Keller
6. Prioritize relationships. Give time to the people who own your heart.

Phil M. Jones

Phil, the author of Exactly What to Say, gave a tremendous keynote. These truth bombs were at the top of my list:

1. “The quality of your life will be in direct proportion to the quantity of quality asks you make.”
2. “Fear is the fertilizer of growth.”
3. “Stop counting conversations and start making conversations count.”
4. “Questions create conversations. Conversations create relationships. Relationships lead to opportunities. Opportunities lead to more sales.”
5. “Don’t pay for a lead you could earn today.”

Highlights from Our Panels

1. “Giving is living…build a tribe to help people thrive.” – Nick Shivers
2. Why isn’t everyone hosting seller seminars like Sue Adler and Scott Shuman? If they can do this in a luxury market, anyone can.
3. “You don’t need more leads. You have enough juice but you’re not doing the squeeze.” – Jon Boller
4. “Your business will only grow to the extent you do.” – Craig Wilburn
5. 60% of our buyers are sellers. – Ryan Young
6. “Don’t market to your customer’s expectations. That’s not a differentiator. You have to do it differently.” – Sarah Reynolds
7. Will Van Wickler has taken 30 listings in six months with the Golden Letter. Get the playbook, do it, and don’t stop when you get busy!
8. Montaz McCray worked six months to get his first closing. His car was nearly repossessed. He ended the year with 78 closings for over $20 million. What’s holding you back?
9. “Show me you know me.” – Caroline Huo on her closing gifts.
10. “Stop trying to be average at everything, and go deep on something.” – Scott Toombs
11. “In our conversations, 80% should be devoted to motivation and 20% to criteria.” – Jen Davis and Jordan Freed from the coach’s panel.
12. “Are your willings in alignment with your wants?” – Jordan Freed
13. Heidi Fore used a home-equity line to start acquiring cash flow properties. She bought 61 in 61 months. Since seven in ten homeowners have 50% or better equity positions, when will you talk to your past clients about investing?
14. “I’m a professional, not a pleaser.” – Kari Wyrsch on maintaining boundaries while representing 230 buyers with her buyer team.
15. No one knows ISAs like Anna Krueger. Ask more open-ended questions to keep conversations going and learn more about their motivation.
16. “What you do over time shapes who you become.” – Gary Keller

If you enjoyed the “12 People Mistakes CEOs Make” and “Hustle Culture vs Happy Culture” presentations, keep an eye on the Think Like a CEOpodcast. Gary and I plan on recording a new season with extended versions of those presentations!
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One question to ponder in your thinking time: What ONE thing will I implement from MegaAgent Camp this week?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan

Co-author of The One Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent ​