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Founders Club - For Real Estate Entrepreneurs


Mar 26, 2019

So, you want to grow your real estate business, but you’re on a limited budget, and you don’t know where to start. Are there creative ways to extend your reach that don’t cost an arm and a leg? Are there hidden profit centers in your business? What steps can you take to build your brand and increase your revenue now—and make your business more attractive to buyers when you’re ready to sell?

Connect with Founders Club Host Oliver Graf on Instagram

Roland Frasier is the Principal of DigitalMarketer, a firm that provides tools and training programs for individuals, teams and marketing agencies. The company also sponsors the annual Traffic & Conversion Summit, the largest digital marketing conference in North America. Roland also serves as the CEO of War Room Mastermind, a community designed to help founders grow their wealth. A serial entrepreneur known for facilitating exponential growth, Roland has bought, scaled and sold 24 businesses over the years.

Today on the podcast, Roland joins Oliver to offer advice on growing your real estate business. We discuss how to turn cost centers into profit centers and explore how buying a top podcast or Instagram account in your niche can yield a 10X return on investment. Roland also walks us through the process of doing deals with little or none of your own money and describes how to make your business more attractive to a buyer via recurring revenue. Listen in to understand how Roland grew a Facebook following of 1M in just eight months and learn why he is investing in brand-building, relationships—and 3K bottles of wine!

Key Takeaways

[0:27] How Roland got into the business of buying and selling companies

  • Exposed to entrepreneurs through dad’s law practice
  • Connected with investment banking world in NYC

[2:35] How Roland maintains a relaxed demeanor

  • Respond in intentional way (vs. react)
  • Listen with beginner’s mind

[4:22] How Roland prepares for a negotiation

  • Write down must-haves and what can let go
  • List potential objections given their likely must-haves

[7:22] Roland’s first real estate deal

  • Follow idea of building in path of progress
  • Developed four lots of unentitled land

[11:29] Roland’s insight on choosing action with multiple benefits

  • Relationship with developer = numerous deals

[12:52] The hidden profit centers in a real estate business

  • Title, escrow and mortgage (ancillary businesses)
  • Photography service + staging company
  • Marketing or document prep
  • Appointment setters + cold callers

[18:32] Roland’s approach to growing a business

  • Leverage AGILE Growth Framework
  • Buy media sources within niche

[21:57] How to do deals with little or none of your own money

  • Overcome point of disbelief by buying real estate w/ deed transfer
  • Structure buying companies same way (i.e.: first $1500 of profit)

[30:35] How to leverage media platforms to scale your growth

  • Buy several + promote to each other
  • Increase velocity of touches

[33:04] Roland’s advice on making your company more sellable

  • Reduce risk by way of MRR/ARR (e.g.: subscription revenue)
  • Turn cost centers into profit centers
  • Develop bolt-on businesses

[38:39] How Roland grew his Facebook page to 1M followers in eight months

  • Shot short videos at meetings to generate content (1K total)
  • Post on business page, pay to boost post and promote page
  • Target English speakers to build brand globally

[47:45] How to vet a digital marketing service

  • Research their social media accounts (content, followers + engagement)
  • Look at certifications and reach out to case studies on website

[51:20] Roland’s take on how the blockchain may impact real estate

  • May lose sophisticated customers at top of market
  • Successful agents will be tech aware quarterback of transactions

[56:34] Why Roland is unwilling to ‘bet the farm’

  • Watched father lose everything
  • Defer or partner to avoid risk

[58:55] Roland’s secret to staying calm and avoiding stress

  • Realize very high highs and low lows don’t last
  • Take charge of emotions, show up for people care about

[1:04:02] What Roland is investing in at present

  • Real estate and companies
  • Personal brand-building and relationships
  • Wine and art

Connect with Roland

DigitalMarketer

Traffic & Conversion Summit

War Room Mastermind

Business Lunch with Roland Frasier

Roland on Facebook

Connect with Oliver

Big Block Realty

Oliver on Facebook

Oliver on LinkedIn

Resources

The Predators’ Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the JunkBond Raiders by Connie Bruck

Vintage Wine Cellars on Instagram

John Assaraf

Digital Marketing Association

Closing Table Mastermind

Colgin Cellars

Futo Wines

Harlan Estate

BOND Wines

VIADER Vineyards

Checkerboard Vineyards

Dana Estates

Ilsley Vineyards