What if you've been going about real estate all wrong? Ricky Carruth, renowned real estate guru and founder of the Carruth Team at eXp Realty Gulf Shores and Zero to Diamond, joins Jonathan and Mallory to provide insight into the key shifts occurring in today's real estate market. Ricky uncovers the hard truth that many agents are struggling, not due to a scarcity of opportunities but because of an overreliance on inbound leads. He argues for a proactive approach, urging agents to embrace outbound prospecting and rediscover the power of personal contact through phone calls. The crux of the discussion centers around the potential surge of first-time homebuyers who, believe it or not, could unlock the largest wave of buyers in a long-time. Are you a deal-focused or people-focused agent? Ricky advocates for a pivotal shift in perspective - from focusing solely on the deal to emphasizing the person. He illustrates the importance of fostering relationships and creating a lasting database of clients. Strategies like weekly emailing and exceptional customer service can help you build a long-term, sustainable business that isn't just transactional. Ricky warns of the pitfalls of filtering out potential clients, reminding us that each person we engage with is a possible opportunity missed. The conversation gets even more interesting as Ricky elaborates on the win-win concept in real estate. He walks us through the importance of staying active and doing the right things, regardless of market trends. Choosing a brokerage and the implications of signing long-term team agreements or bonuses also take center stage. He stresses the importance of building a strong reputation and developing solid client relationships. Jonathan and Mallory round up their discussion with Ricky by sharing the value of his coaching program and social media presence. This episode promises to be a game-changer in your real estate journey. In this episode, you will hear: The importance of outbound prospecting, using phone calls and personal contact, to grow real estate businessesWhy you should be focusing on clients, not the deal, as a key to building lasting relationships and generating referralsThe concept of a win-win in real estate and why you should stay active and do the right things even in a declining marketRicky’s warning against signing long-term team agreements or bonuses when choosing a brokerage and instead focusing on building reputations and strong relationships with clientsThe potential value of his coaching program, Zero to Diamond, and the role of social media in the real estate industrySome of Ricky’s practical strategies for building confidence in real estate agents, encouraging them to practice making calls and creating videos to improve their skills and overcome the fear of rejection Follow and Review: We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, we've created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://www.trustgreene.com/podcast/aoa/018 to download it. Supporting Resources: Zero to Diamond - zerotodiamond.com Ricky Carruth’s YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/@RickyCarruth Find Ricky Carruth on Instagram - www.instagram.com/rickycarruth Connect with Ricky on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/ricky-carruth-373359161 Website - www.streamlined.properties YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@trustgreene Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/Streamlined%20Prop%20eXp Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties Email - info@streamlined.properties Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.