Watch this interview on YouTube.

D.J. Paris sits down with Justin Helmus, a top 1% producer in Tampa Bay and an NAR 30 Under 30 honoree who has sold the highest-priced condo on Clearwater Beach and the highest-priced home in Belleair for their years. They cover why he ignored the advice to let business come to him, how he wins luxury and investor clients, and the plan he would follow in a first 12 months.

What you’ll learn

• Know the market better than anyone. At 25, Justin knew he couldn’t out-relationship agents with decades in town, so he learned every segment of the market and every detail of a property. (05:57)
• Handwritten notes beat more social posts. He writes and hand delivers notes to prospective buyers and other luxury agents, and looks ahead at life events like a graduation. (13:54)
• Go where your ideal clients are. He sat at the table nearest the door of a copy shop with old MLS sheets, and says it led to five to 10 deals. (29:04)
• Build a team around a target listing. For a home he wants, he sends a handwritten note, then asks a neighbor and a mutual friend to put in a good word. (32:00)
• Study the market every day. Justin spends at least an hour a day on what’s going on, because if he doesn’t, his competition is. (26:38)

“I mean, handwritten notes, bar none, is the best use of your time, in my opinion.”

Justin Helmus (at 14:35)

Chapters

00:00 Intro
04:52 Winning listings at 25
10:41 The worst advice he ever got
12:52 What he does differently on a luxury sale
17:02 Playing the long game
19:16 What condo buyers worry about in Florida
22:18 Working with investors
27:10 A 12-month plan to break into luxury
31:01 How to approach a home when the owner doesn’t know you
35:05 How he uses AI
39:13 Using Zillow tools with buyers
46:27 Homework: pick your street

This week’s homework

Pick one street, building or neighborhood you want to be known for five years from now. Look up the five highest sales there in the last three years and write down who listed them. Then reach out to one owner a week with a call or a handwritten note, and get to know the agents who made those sales.

Links from this episode

• Justin Helmus’s website

Listen and follow

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

This episode is brought to you by Real Geeks and Courted.io.