← F.I.R.E.D UP with Krista Mashore
F.I.R.E.D UP with Krista Mashore
From A Nurse to a Full Time Real Estate Agent, Ep. (938)
00:24:13
Would YOU walk away from a six-figure job with no backup plan? That’s exactly what Shanara Carter did… and now she’s a top-producing listing agent crushing it in one of the hardest real estate markets since 1995. In this powerful, raw, and real...
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- [00:00]
A
Three months after joining Krista's program, I decided to walk away from my job without a real plan. It was a two week, I gave a two week notice, I left. I stepped out on faith. But what's important about that is that in that short three months, I built enough confidence. I learned so much in three months that gave me enough confidence to walk away from that six figure job. So I think that's important. So without having this program, I know, oh, I would not have made that leap of faith.
- [00:36]
B
Hey there. Are you ready to be fired up? Because I sure am. I've got Shanara Carter here. She is a powerhouse in real estate. She's actually not that long in the business, but she's crushing it in the craziest market since 1995. Hey, Chenera, how are you? Thanks for being here.
- [00:55]
A
Hi, I am Shanara Carter and I'm in the Chicagoland area. Thank you so much for having me on the podcast.
- [01:03]
B
Oh, I can't wait. So tell us a little bit about you. So where are you from?
- [01:06]
A
I'm from Chicago, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. I'm dual licensed, so I'm licensed in Indiana, but like 95 of my business is in Chicago.
- [01:16]
B
Okay, so you, you want an awesome real estate agent in Chicago? You call Shanara Carter, look her up. It sounds just like it is with one n. Okay, so tell us a little bit about. So how long you been in the business?
- [01:30]
A
So I have been in the business, believe it or not. This year makes my seventh year in the business.
- [01:36]
B
Seven years. Okay.
- [01:37]
A
Yeah. So I'm seven years in the business. This year makes full. Five years full time.
- [01:42]
B
Five years full time. Okay. Before that, I know you were a nurse. So you literally left your full time, safe, secure nursing job making, you know, six figures to get into real estate. That was probably pretty scary, huh?
- [01:55]
A
Very scary. And what's even more scary about that whole situation is I left right at the beginning of COVID Covid, like before COVID became a real thing and we got shut down is when I left my job. I left my job March 13, 2000. The first person died in the Chicagoland area in Illinois on March 18th. Oh, wow. Okay.
- [02:19]
B
That's crazy. So, okay, okay, so, all right, so tell me, like, what are you doing right now? First of all, talk about your. When did you join my program?
- [02:28]
A
December of 2019. You guys were on Christmas break. So I, I, I like to say I joined in January because nothing was happening when I joined.
- [02:39]
B
Okay, okay. So January. And right when Covid. Right around Covid Right? Yep.
- [02:45]
A
Right around Covid. Yep.
- [02:46]
B
Right when Covid hit. Okay, so talk about your progression. Like you know, how many from when you started the program, what was your progression in like you know, deals, listings, all that?
- [02:57]
A
Yes, absolutely. So when I started the program, I was still working as a full time nurse when I started the program. So that's important because three months after joining Christa's program, I decided to walk away from my job without a real plan. It was a two week, I gave a two week notice, I left, I stepped out on faith. But what's important about that is that in that short three months I built enough confidence. I learned so much in three months that gave me enough confidence to walk away from that six figure job. So I think like that's important. So without having this program, I know I would not have made that leap of faith.
- [03:41]
B
So tell us what you're doing. So tell us the progression of deals and then I want to, we're going to get into exactly what you're doing to. First of all, I want to say this. She has never lost a listing since she implemented my secret sauce listing system. So that is amazing. I love that. Tell us, tell us what you're doing.
- [04:01]
A
So yeah, so. And when I first started the program I was primarily a buyer's agent, which is important. The listings that I did receive, it was because someone recommended me or referred me but just didn't have the confidence to go after listing. So I think that's important. I also, once I joined this program is when I started capping at my organization. I started getting top 15% of my association. So all of that played a part. So fast forward. And I did not implement right away as it relates to listings because even though I said I started to build confidence, it still there immediately. But this program set it up and then I shifted, I started getting more listings, they're contacting me, I stepped my game up and in 2023 because of that my, my team got top, top producer team award for the association because of everything I implemented from this program. So. So like she stated, I have never lost the listing that I did not want. Let's be clear on that. So, so let's be clear on that. So once I go on the, I.
- [05:23]
B
Teach my students to have a no a hole policy. If they meet with somebody and they're not, they're don't, they're a jerk, they won't take the listing.
- [05:30]
A
Absolutely. And then like here I, I, I'm in a market where they try to lowball you, right and so all of the things that you're taught here, like it helped me stand out from the rest. So I am 100% confident when I walk into a listing appointment I have, I know what to do, I know what to implement and I present. So by the time I get there it's like what do you need me to do? Where do we sign? Pretty much.
- [05:59]
B
Okay, tell us what you're doing to do that. So let's get in now to. Yes, what are you doing to right now that's working for you. And by the way, everyone in the book Top Producer Secrets, Chanera is one of the authors in the book Top Producer Secrets go on Amazon. Get that. She has a full chapter for herself telling the exact strategy that she learned from me and how she put it on steroids. Chenar, so what are you doing now? Tell us how you're getting business and what's going on.
- [06:24]
A
Oh yes, I am. So I am one, I am marketing. So the business is coming through not only through the marketing but through my sphere. So I must say like people are recommending me. You got to call her. She's going to take care of you. So what happens? The phone call rings. The phone rings. Right at that point I'm gathering information. So I am getting together. I have a CMA box and in that box I am gathering the marketing plan. So all of these things, let's just say that all of these things came from Krista. I was not doing any of these things before. So my marketing plan is in there. My seller's guide is in there. My what to expect while listing is in there. My book is in there. It's a seller's checklist in there so I can get to know the seller better. I have a sample of my postcard in there. I have swag in there. I do not put my CMA in the box. I wait. And so the appointment for the CMA, also what they receive, they receive a video with pretty much talking about what I'm going to do to market that property, how am I going to get this property sold. And so that's what I do from a preliminary basis. Right?
- [07:47]
B
She does all this beforehand. So the seller calls and first of all she sets a bit. It's very powerful. She goes, now I get more referrals. She's getting more referrals because of what she's doing on social media, properly distributing content and video, using it correctly. So now she's reminding past clients, she's getting referrals for people. She doesn't even know because they see her as the trusted authority. Okay. So hers, she drops off this box, she sends them a. We've actually developed a 15 minute pre marketing video that we send to people that talks all about things that the normal agent wouldn't talk about like marketing, geo targeting, retargeting, social media. Like all these things that most people don't even know about. And so she's setting herself up before she gets there. We call it winning before you arrive. Okay. So Chanel, now that's the key. What she does before to ensure that she gets the listing. And this ensures her to get the listing appointment. And number one, the commission questioning kind of goes out the door.
- [08:42]
A
Yes. Sometimes the commission question goes out the door. Not all the time. I have to be honest with that. I have to be.
- [08:51]
B
Does it. What do you do when the commitment.
- [08:54]
A
So I just let them know like they're not going to, they, the other agents are not going to do what I'm. What I do. Right. And so they're going to request the same commission and pretty much because in, in no. And this is no knock against other agents. Let me be clear on that. But we are taught to get a listing, put it on the mls, put it on our regular social media pages. If you're on social media, we are not taught the back in hand of how you show up and how you market. We're just not taught that. And so what I say is other agents are not going to do what I do because they don't know how.
- [09:34]
B
Yeah. Invested in. Okay, good. Okay, so, so now let's talk about what, what are you doing? So that's what you do before listing. And she go, she goes over all of that in the, in the book Top Producer Secrets. By the way, if you would like to learn more about this, if you go to Krista may sure.com I need to figure out what the name of it is. So hold on, wait. Okay. So what are you doing, Shannara, to get the phone to ring in the first place?
- [10:07]
A
Well, I'm showing up. I am showing up. That's how the phone rings. So I am marketing and a lot of. Even though I'm getting calls from marketing, I am getting calls from other people who are watching me. It's like you need to call her. She's going to take care of you. I'm getting calls from referrals from past clients, repeat clients are coming back. And so it's a, I must say that it's a mixture of where my calls go.
- [10:33]
B
Well, they're not forgetting about you. Right. So no, I tell people, you know, we've had so many stories of somebody called me from, you know, 16 years ago and I worked. They would never remember or know that you're in the industry. And agents, if you're listening to this, which you are, because you're hearing me, the main thing that you don't understand is that you think that people are going to come back to you. And because they love you, they forget about you. They forget about you. I guarantee it. So your job as a real estate agent is to become what I call a community market leader. Anytime somebody thinks about real estate, they need to be thinking about you because you are showing up actively where they are looking, serving, not selling, talking about the community, helping them. And you do that by properly distributing your content on social media. And when you do that, everything changes. Now she get, like you said, she gets the, the attention, exposure. Then she does the pre marketing video, the pre listing process of dropping off the box with all the stuff in it. And she is doing what no one else is doing. That's why she has changed her business from buyer's agent to a listing agent. Right. It's so important to understand the power of it.
- [11:36]
A
Yes.
- [11:37]
B
Yes. Yeah. Okay. So a lot of people are afraid of doing video, right? And so what would you say about that?
- [11:44]
A
So I was too. So you're not alone. You are not alone. So I was, I was afraid. It held me back. And in hindsight I wish I would have just gotten over myself because that's an internal thing, right? You're, you're concerned about what people are going to say. How do you look on camera? I don't like my voice, those things. And maybe you're afraid of, I'm gonna put it on camera and I can't take it back, like if I make a mistake. But we're human, right? So we make mistakes. So just show up. Like, show up, show up and be yourself and be authentic. I think authenticity is what really does it for me. It's the authenticity. It's the, they know they can trust me. It's. And they're like, okay, she knows her stuff, right? So all those things rolled up in one. If you, if you just start recording and you just start doing video, they get to see you. So it, you know what I mean? Like, they get to see you, they get to hear you, they're engaged. And I'm telling you, video has changed everything for me. Video and everyone can contest to. This video is so prominent for me that I'm doing it with birthdays. Everybody's getting a birthday video. Even when I need to respond to a client, I'm sending a video, and guess what? I get a message back like, oh, my God, I love your videos. It feels like you're talking to me. So in the video, I'm like, having conversation. Like, I'm talking to them. I'm telling you is. It's everything. Everybody loves the videos now here, listen, everyone.
- [13:17]
B
There's something really important to understand you. It's video is great, just like she said, because it develops something called a parasocial relationship. People feel like on the other side of the screen that they get to know you, right? And it's just like when you watch a movie and you cheer for the good guy, you hate the bad guy. It's because you've developed a parasocial relationship with. You have to make sure people actually see the video. And that's what, you know, the program has actually taught Shannon how to do is how to distribute content so that she gets hundreds of hours of views, thousands of engagements, you know, and all that. It's really important to know that. So what should an agent do right now if they're. They're new or they're experienced, but they're afraid to start doing video? Like, what would your advice be on how to start right away? What would you say?
- [14:02]
A
I would say just pick your phone up and hit record.
- [14:07]
B
Okay, so what should they talk about? Like, give us some ideas of things.
- [14:10]
A
They can talk about so you can talk. You can talk about current. You can talk about current things going on. You can. You can talk about anything. Like, anything that's happening. You're on the show and something crazy goes on. Go live. Talk about it, right? Just watch you a day in the life of Walking with Shannara, right? Like, this is what my day looks like. Talk about what's going on in the real estate market. Even get a little personal. Talk about what's going on with you. You can do different things. Like when you're at the restaurant, like, talk about how this is. These are the best. These are the best tacos. Oh, my God. They were just talking about this last night. Like, these are the best tacos here, right? Like, these are. This is where you want to come to when you want tacos in Chicago. This is where you want to come to when you want breakfast in Chicago. Like, just anything. Like. So I would say do that, do that so that you can get comfortable. So then you can get on video and talk about the real meat and potatoes and it doesn't. You know what I mean? I would stay away from religion and politics for the most part though.
- [15:10]
B
I agree. Stay religion in politics. Just need your cell phone. Start getting comfortable. Another thing to do is what you talked about is like you can do a video text message where you, you know, you go into your phone, look at your contacts and you're going to say, pick somebody and be like, okay, I'm going to call, I'm going to video text Chenara today and I'm going to say, Shannara, I was thinking about you. I noticed that your daughter's graduating from high school. Congratulations. You were on my mind thinking about you. Make sure you say your name. People don't ask for referrals, don't ask for business. Just by doing that. You should pick up 12. If you do it 10 times a day, five days a week, super easy. You will pick up, you should pick up about 12 new clients a year.
- [15:49]
A
Absolutely.
- [15:50]
B
Okay, so this has been awesome. I love you so much. So keep going. What else, what else should these agents be learning about and doing right now? You know, I just read an article. It's the hardest market since 1990.
- [16:00]
A
It's the hardest market. It's a hard market. And let's be clear, let me just say this, it is the hardest market. 2024 was rough for us and I think 2025 is probably starting out in that road is probably even Rockier. Right. But 2024 was my best year in real estate and it was, it wasn't so good for other people, which lets me know I am on the right path. I'm doing things right. Right. Because I have the right support, because I have the right community. Like everything is lined up where it should be. So it was my best in real estate from a, from a numbers perspective, from a production perspective, we closed the highest, we closed the highest transaction of the career, which was a 1.675 million dollar house. So it was my best year. It was my best year. Was it rough? Absolutely it was. Did I lose a couple of people? I did, right? Because this is just how it goes. But it was the best year. 100% man.
- [17:14]
B
To have the best year in transactions, you know, more sellers, I needed to. In the worst. They say it's the worst real estate market since 1995. It's because of what she's doing people, you have to be willing to do the work. You know, it's, it's unfortunate. We're, we go to school to learn how our ABCs and arithmetic. But no one's taught how to become a real estate agent or to run a business. That's why most agents fails. They're just not taught. So if you can learn to market yourself properly and to stand out because everyone else is doing the same thing, it's very easy to dominate because everyone else is just doing the same thing.
- [17:45]
A
You know, everybody's doing the same thing. And then some people are like stepping out and doing a few things, like on video. Because I am, I'm seeing, I'm seeing more people on video. But what are they doing wrong?
- [17:57]
B
What are they doing wrong?
- [17:58]
A
Are they marketing those videos? Right is the question. That is the question, right? No one's seeing them but the people who are on their page. And maybe the people on their page know someone who wants to buy a house or sell a house. But for the most part, the people who you're friends with, they just love you and support you, right? They're not, they're not buying and selling. Some of them are just not all. But yeah.
- [18:23]
B
So the goal, everyone is, what she's talking about now is like other people are starting to do video, but no one's seeing it except their friends and family. And how the algorithms work, because I teach people how to master Facebook ads is how the algorithms work is Facebook and these other social channels only put you in front of the people that are already engaging with you. Your mom, your dad, your sister, your dog. Right? You want everyone else in your community to see you. So what, what Shara knows how to do is she knows how to market in a way where people, all of the people in our community see her. They see her over and over again. She can target specific groups of people. She can retarget means she can keep showing up. And that's the reason, reason why she's been able to do so well. Okay, so I end remember, by the way, everyone, if you would like to learn more about what Chanera's learned and how she ended up learning all this stuff, you can go to Krista Meore.com listings now. Krista Meore.com listings Now. And you can sign up for our three day virtual event for the cost, for a cost of less than a few cups of coffee. And you can learn all about digital marketing, social media, video, our whole secret sauce listing process. So go and do that.
- [19:31]
A
But I like, oh, let me say this, let me say this too. So that, so I started, which is funny. So we talk about how you retarget and how you market. How Krista found me I didn't find her. She found me. Right? So let's just talk about how she found me. I started searching, how do I get more listings? And then this blonde hair, beautiful woman starts just popping up all, she's in my face, she's in my face. She keeps coming up. She's in my face. So I said, okay. And at the time, I don't understand. I don't understand the marketing and the retargeting. I don't understand it. Right? But she had a three day event and then it might have been two day. She had a two day event.
- [20:14]
B
It wasn't.
- [20:15]
A
It was. It was two days, okay? And I signed up for the two day event and I was like, you know what, let me sign up for this. I signed up for the two day event and I did not. You know how some people, it takes them a minute. I signed up immediately following the second day. I signed up, I scheduled my appointment. I scheduled an appointment to talk to someone and I signed up and that was it. And the rest was history. And I have been here now for five years. I have been here for five years. Not because I didn't learn enough, but you have to be a constant student. So my best advice is that you can never know too much, right? Like you're a constant student always. I'm a constant student, not only just in real estate, but in life and just being a person and being a mother and my spiritual relationship with God. Like I'm a constant student, right? And I've been here five years. I've been here five years for a reason. Because I love this community. I love her. I love this community. I love what they have given me. I pray that I'm returning the same favor. But I love what they have given me just from a support and a community standpoint. And of course, what I've learned on how to stand out on these listings. Yeah.
- [21:25]
B
Plus we keep giving more stuff. Like we're always adding. Like people always say, why do people stay with you so long? And I'm like, because we keep giving them more cool stuff that's relevant to what the market's doing, like the seller course and the neighborhood community funnels and all the things. I love you, Shanara. Okay, so if people want to get a hold of you, how do they get a hold of you? And then you're going to end with one piece of advice that you would give people, whether it's business, personal relationship, self help, what would one piece of advice be? So where can they find you?
- [21:51]
A
Then the advice okay, so my handles are the same. I am at home with Shannara. That's S H A N A R A at home with Shanara. On Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, on Tik Tok, LinkedIn. Shana Carter. Okay, if you just, if you, if you're not on social media, you just need to call and this video is coming to you a different way, don't hesitate to pick up the phone to call me. 312-300-2083. You can email me@mail.com you can find me on all of those. And I have a podcast. I have a podcast show with my attorney. It's the @ Deanna Shannara podcast. And it's a real estate podcast. We're talking about everything. We're talking about real estate and we're talking about things impacted with life. Right? And so that is at Deanna Shanera. And we are on Spotify.
- [22:45]
B
Okay. Okay. Now what is the one Adv? What's your piece of advice?
- [22:53]
A
My. Oh, there's so many, but my one. So my one thing, my one thing is for you to just get out of your own way. Get out of your own way so that you can be your future self now. Don't look at now, look at where God is taking you. Get out of your own way so you can be your future self now.
- [23:16]
B
Oh, I love that. And with that being said, everyone, to be the future self that you want to be, you have to do the things every day that your future self would have done to get where you want to go. So I love that. That's awesome. All right, Cheniere, everyone go buy your book Top producer secrets. Go to kristamayshore.com listings now and we will see at the event. And Cheniere, I love you and I hope you're all just as fired up as I am because Chanera Carter was fire.
- [23:43]
A
Bye.
- [23:44]
B
Hey there. If you want to learn how to dominate your market as a real estate agent, how to sell more listings and stand out as the go to obvious choice, sign up for my virtual event. Just go to kristamayshorn.com forward/lesslesslistings. Do me a favor. This is a three day virtual event. I'm going to teach you how to stand out in your marketplace. Go to kristamayshore.com limitlesslistings and I will see you there.