From Introvert to Real Estate Video Star: Cheryl Fowlkes’ Proven Strategies for Agents, Ep. (901)

Summary

Podcast Summary: From Introvert to Real Estate Video Star: Cheryl Fowlkes’ Proven Strategies for Agents (Ep. 901)

Host: Krista Mashore
Guest: Cheryl Fowlkes, Dripping Springs, Texas
Release Date: November 8, 2024
Podcast: F.I.R.E.D UP with Krista Mashore

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Introduction to Cheryl Fowlkes

In Episode 901 of F.I.R.E.D UP with Krista Mashore, host Krista Mashore welcomes Cheryl Fowlkes from Dripping Springs, Texas. Cheryl is recognized as an absolute top producer in the real estate industry, bringing nearly two decades of experience to the conversation. This episode delves into Cheryl's journey from an introverted real estate agent to a prominent video marketing star, offering valuable insights and proven strategies for fellow agents aiming to elevate their business through digital marketing.

Overcoming Video Production Challenges

Cheryl opens up about her initial struggles with video marketing, describing the emotional and psychological barriers she faced. “[00:14] It was especially hard in the first six months of training. I went through a lot of emotions and just couldn’t bring myself to do videos because I didn’t like how I looked or sounded,” Cheryl explains. Her reluctance stemmed from self-consciousness, leading her to produce videos that she ultimately chose not to publish.

Krista pushes Cheryl to overcome these barriers, highlighting the importance of consistency despite initial discomfort. Cheryl recounts, “[00:53] I didn’t publish it because I hated it and didn’t like how I looked or sounded. It took me a while to actually redo it, but I eventually started making videos, though I wasn’t sharing them anywhere initially.”

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones

The conversation shifts to Cheryl’s broader journey in real estate. With almost 20 years in the industry, Cheryl emphasizes the necessity of stepping out of her comfort zone to build her business from scratch in Texas. “[01:31] I moved to Texas 18 years ago without knowing anyone and had to start my business over entirely. Cold calling wasn’t my style, so I focused on building personal relationships with clients, leading to a high number of repeat clients and referrals.”

Krista highlights the pivotal role she played in pushing Cheryl beyond her comfort zones, comparing it to overcoming childhood aversions. “[02:18] You got me out of my... I didn’t like doing book reports at school. I would call in sick. It was easy to avoid, just like I avoided creating and publishing videos.”

Embracing Video Marketing for Business Growth

Cheryl discusses the transformation her business underwent by embracing video marketing. “[03:30] Through Krista’s program, I learned to do things differently and get out of my comfort zone, despite the initial pain and discomfort. Now, I have listing videos with walkthroughs, professionally produced, which significantly enhanced my credibility and client trust.”

She shares a notable achievement: a $14 million listing that took time to sell but underscored the importance of trust and high-quality video presentations. “[04:57] Previously, my videos were just virtual tours with pictures, but now they include detailed walkthroughs. This shift has helped me secure larger listings and treat all properties, regardless of price, with the same level of professionalism.”

Building Authentic Relationships Through Video

Krista explains the concept of parasocial relationships, where clients feel a personal connection with Cheryl through her videos. “[05:08] When someone watches your videos, they develop a relationship with you, seeing you as an expert even when you’re not actively working.”

Cheryl shares a heartwarming story illustrating this connection. “[05:31] In a small town, a father recognized me from my videos and told me that my coaching had positively changed my business and personal interactions, helping me come out of my introverted shell.”

Embracing Authenticity and Branding

A significant portion of the discussion centers on authenticity in video marketing. Cheryl emphasizes the importance of being genuine, stating, “[08:19] People want to see the real you. Authenticity is key. You can’t hide parts of yourself because people appreciate and connect with the real you.”

Krista adds that authenticity resonates with clients, making them more likely to choose you as their agent. “[09:01] People recognize and admire when agents present themselves honestly, which builds trust and rapport.”

Practical Tips for Video Production and Time Management

Cheryl shares practical strategies that helped her streamline her video production process. “[06:34] I developed a system where I run through the teleprompter once or twice, talk to it as if conversing with a friend, and then record. This method significantly reduced the time it took to produce each video from hours to about 30 minutes for nine videos.”

She also highlights the importance of allowing imperfection, explaining, “[12:02] I realized that videos don’t have to be perfect. Minor bloopers add to the authenticity. Now, I can produce concise, engaging content efficiently without getting bogged down by perfectionism.”

Impact of Video Marketing on Cheryl’s Business

Implementing a structured video strategy has had a profound impact on Cheryl’s business. “[13:21] Video allows me to educate buyers and sellers, breaking down complex processes into manageable, digestible pieces. This educational approach helps clients feel more confident and informed.”

Cheryl notes that despite not seeing immediate engagement metrics like comments or shares, the qualitative feedback and personal connections affirm the value of her video efforts. “[14:23] Many clients have secretly watched all my content, feeling like they know me, even if they haven’t interacted directly. This silent engagement builds trust and long-term relationships.”

Advice for Fellow Agents

As the conversation wraps up, Cheryl offers heartfelt advice to other agents looking to harness the power of video marketing. “[16:08] You’ve got to be yourself and not be afraid to put yourself out there. People love you for who you are, and authenticity can significantly enhance your business.”

Krista reinforces this message, encouraging agents to embrace their unique selves and leverage video to showcase their true personalities. “[16:31] Being perfectly imperfect is key. Get your content out there, innovate, and continuously adapt to stay ahead in the market.”

Conclusion

Episode 901 of F.I.R.E.D UP with Krista Mashore provides an inspiring narrative of Cheryl Fowlkes’ transformation from an introverted agent to a video-savvy real estate star. Through overcoming personal barriers, embracing authenticity, and implementing strategic video marketing, Cheryl has not only grown her business but also built meaningful connections with her clients. Her journey underscores the profound impact that dedication and adaptability can have in the competitive real estate landscape.

For more insights and to access Cheryl’s chapter and training resources, listeners are directed to KristaMashore.com/Podcast and KristaMashore.com/forward/secrets.

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Notable Quotes:

• “[00:14] It was especially hard in the first six months of training. I went through a lot of emotions and just couldn’t bring myself to do videos because I didn’t like how I looked or sounded.”
• “[11:03] So, yes, I love it. So even as somebody who is a little bit more introverted, as you said, maybe a little more private, videos still work for you.”
• “[16:08] You’ve got to be yourself and not be afraid to put yourself out there. People love you for who you are, and authenticity can significantly enhance your business.”

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Cheryl Fowlkes' story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and authenticity in real estate. By embracing video marketing and stepping out of her comfort zone, she has set a remarkable example for agents striving to become leaders in their communities.

Transcript

[A]

Hey everyone, are you ready to be fired up? Because I sure am. I have Cheryl folks from Dripping Springs, Texas here today and she is a absolute top producer. She is going to be covering what Cheryl, welcome. I go over in your book chapter.

[B]

Well, what I go over in my chapter is how hard it was for me to get videos done. I mean, especially like, I think the first six months I was in the training, I was going through all those emotions and stuff like that, but I just was not able to get myself to do videos because I was like, I didn't like how I looked or sounded on the videos. And finally when you threatened me because you said, and you threatened every lot because you don't get your listing videos done, your listing presentation done, you're paying your top competitor a thousand dollars. We had to write the check. I was like, like hell, I'm doing that. Yeah, so that was my biggest thing. But then I didn't publish it.

[A]

See, I published.

[B]

I didn't do anything with it because I hated it and I didn't like how I looked or sounded. And so it took me a while to actually redo it. I did redo it, but for the first probably year I was making videos but I didn't like how I looked or sounded. And I wasn't putting them out anywhere.

[A]

So yeah, I'm putting them out there. Wow.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So talk about that process. I mean, so first of all, how long the business. What kind of business do you do? You do every year. I know that you recently had a massively, very expensive listing. One of the top highest listings you've ever had in your career. Highest, highest question you've ever made.

[B]

Three years ago.

[A]

Yeah. Talk a little bit about your journey in real estate.

[B]

I've been doing it for almost 20 years. I started in another state and then I moved to Texas almost 18 years ago and didn't know anybody in the area. Had to start my business over 100% and just knew that, you know, I had to find people. And I was not, I was always said, you know, in order for me to cold call people, you better be drunk because I tell it from tiling for clients because I won't do it. And so, you know, I had to find a way to try to relate. And so I became more personal with people that walk ins into the real estate company that I was working for and stuff. And a lot of my clients are repeat clients. So it makes it easy for me. They refer me. So for me it was making it a lot easier because I was comfortable with that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So comfort was kind of my thing. And so you got me out of my. You know, in the book, it talks about how you got me out of my comfort zone. You put me in a place that I didn't like to be. Like, I didn't like to do book reports at school. I would call in sick. It was so easy to do that. It just didn't show up. And so, you know, I thought, okay, I could do this, but then I just won't do it. And I wasn't getting anywhere. And so my business was kind of running flat, and I do homes and land, and so it's a little bit different than what it is for some people. And so you talk about my big list. Yeah, it was $14 million, and it took us a while to sell it, but, you know, it's one of those things where the clients trusted you. And the one thing I learned with that was I wasn't in the videos, but there was a lot of video stuff that we did. There was five homes on the property. It was a large acreage property. And so the things that I've learned through you, through the program and I've also put in my chapter was that, you know, you have to. You have to do things differently and you have to get out of your comfort zone. And as much as it hurts and pains you, you've got to do it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And, you know, at my age, it's like, you're not getting any younger. You better do it now. So, you know, part of what I've been doing is I started dipping my toe in, you know, and you talk about it, you got to do it for, you know, six months or a year or whatever time.

[A]

Well, yeah.

[B]

And for me, I wasn't letting it take enough time. I put it out the first couple of weeks, and it didn't do much. No. And so I showed actually in my. In my chapter where I've actually gained ground on not only securing larger listing clients, but also just doing the right thing, doing the whole thing. For whether there's $300,000 homes or, you know, multimillion dollar properties, they all get the same thing now. I now have started doing my home videos where I'm actually doing a walk through video in the house. My. I have a videographer that actually does that. So I'm actually in my listing videos now where I never was before. And that was a big change for me. I was doing what I thought were the videos and they weren't. Yeah. You know, there are the virtual tours that People do. And there's just a mishmash of all the pictures.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

That's what we thought were videos.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Back in the day. No, that's not a video. I mean, a video is where somebody's walking through the house and doing things. And you know, I had done that for like 17 or 18 years. It seemed like I was just doing those things. So.

[A]

Well, the next thing is, is when you're doing the video and they're seeing you, it's like you're branding not only the seller and the home, you're also branding yourself. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then people are seeing you more. They're developing a relationship with you. They're seeing you as the expert. I mean.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And there is such thing. It's called actually a parasocial relationship. Which means that when somebody sees you on the other side of our video, they feel like they know you and people are more likely to work with people that they know. So you're, you know, and it's working while you're not working. Video works while you're. It's views while you snooze, you know, when. Before you arrive kind of a thing. The debt definitely does, you know, build a relationship.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Tell me, tell me about it.

[B]

We went to a little store or was a burger joint called Peterry's, and in a small town and we have an old car, old classic car. And this young little boy comes walking out and he sees the car and he's like, oh. And the dad goes, you're that real estate girl, aren't you? And my husband looks at me and he's like, oh, my gosh, it's working. Yeah. And so he said, I will never complain about whatever you're doing with your coaching stuff anymore. Oh, God. Yeah. He goes, because it has. It's changed how you. You're doing your business and I can see that. And it's changing how you're working with your clients. And it's changed you for the better. It's brought you out of your shell a little bit, you know, because I'm pretty much an introvert. Yeah. I like being the person in the back, kind of the one watching everything going on.

[A]

Let's talk about that. So, you know, people will say, well, I'm an introvert. I'm private. And many of our students that are doing video and being seen by the masses. Right. Are introverted. So. And. But you're doing it.

[B]

Yeah. I've come to the point where with my videos and stuff, I'm like, my teleprompter and I became friends. I call it Harriet Harris.

[A]

Harriet.

[B]

I have a conversation with Harriet, you know, because I was having such a hard time with doing the videos because it was like it was taking me hours to do one where now I can do, like, nine of them in 30 minutes. So. Good.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It's like I'm talking to Harry. You know, Harry and I are having a conversation. It's kind of like.

[A]

Yeah, that guy, the basketball.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like. Oh, what was his name? John Heights was in it.

[A]

Yeah. Island.

[B]

He was talking to them that long for as. Wilson. Wilson. Yes. You're.

[A]

You're Harry's Wilson.

[B]

Yeah. So, you know, it was hot. It was so hard either not having somebody in the room when you're trying to have a conversation, because it was like you were talking to this box.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I had to get to the point where I was, like, feeling like I was talking to a friend or. Or a client or somebody like that. So. And. And when I showed them with my presentation, it's funny because somebody goes, oh, my gosh. I can see that in the three separate videos you just showed. I can see how you changed in how you're having a conversation. So you have to figure out what works for you, and so it doesn't work for everybody.

[A]

Yeah, I know.

[B]

Just need to be outside and do it at, you know, off the cuff. That's good. Me, I need the structure. And you give us, you know, in your program, you give us the structure, you give us all the scripts, you give us everything we need, and I tweak it to sound a little bit more like me.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I, you know, going through the program, I've realized that there's a lot of things that I. I kind of hide. You know, it's like my personal thing, but I have to let it go because. Yeah, people. That's what people want to see.

[A]

People. Yeah.

[B]

They want to see the real.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so authenticity. And you've told us so many times, you know, I don't like how I look. Well, how do you think you look when you get in front of your client? Yeah, exactly. You think you look different. You got, you know, I mean. No, you look the same as on the video as you sound and look when you see them in person. So it's kind of like, you know, you don't want to be the person that has their. Their high school picture on their real estate sign.

[A]

So funny.

[B]

And you go. You walk into the open house and you're like, where's the lady on the sign. Yeah, I just.

[A]

Yesterday I was at a conference, I spoke in la and this guy came up to me, he goes, I just want to tell you how much it is nice that you actually look like yourself.

[B]

I have beatties. Tell me though.

[A]

Yeah, you know, he's like, how many people do you know that they don't look anything like their picture? He goes, your videos actually look like you. He goes, I feel like I know you. I heard it so many times yesterday. I feel like I know you. Are you seeing that? Like what, Tell me, what is video done for your businesses as it relates to clients?

[B]

Well, a lot of times if I go to meet someone and they're new, I don't know what they look like.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The good thing is they know me because they just walk right up to me.

[A]

Yes, yes.

[B]

And the first thing they say is, you look just like you look either in your. My pictures on my website or in my videos. And I was like, well, yep, that's who I am. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, you know, you can't change that. You can't fix it. It's not like you can go get a massive rework done before you go out. Yeah, clients, you know. Yeah. Put some makeup on and make sure you look nice. But you know, I, I mean, and I don't dress up either. I mean, I wear like what I'm wearing now, jeans and my cowboy boots and whatever. Sometimes I wear a dress, you know.

[A]

That is very common. One thing I will say is like so many of the people that we have here, they are themselves. They, they know whether they're selling luxury or not, they, they're them, they don't try to change or, or be different to match, you know, what people that they think people want, they actually are themselves.

[B]

You know, I, I was out showing a piece of land and I was wearing my jeans and cowboy boots and you know, and this gal comes in, she was a downtown agent and she shows up in a 7 Series BMW, wound up with two flat tires by the time she left. Oh man. And she was wearing this tiny, short little dress that you could practically see through with huge 4 inch heels on a land deal.

[A]

You're like.

[B]

I was like, sweetheart, you're not leaving the truck.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And she goes, oh, don't you look cute and in your little jeans. And I'm like, what do you think you're doing out here?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, and she jumps back in her car and she pulls a brand new box of cowboy boots out, puts them on barefooted. And I'm like, oh, this is gonna be fun. You know, you don't do that.

[A]

Oh, no blisters. Oh, my God.

[B]

Like, we're going to be out here for hours, sweetheart. This is not going to be fun for you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you know, I mean, that's. People think, you know, oh, it's. They're making me, you know, they're making a lot of money because it's a big land deal. Takes a long time to do some of those. Land.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you have to have the equipment, you have to have the wear, you know, you don't want to be a rattlesnake.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

In sandals. That would probably.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. So, yes, I love it. So even as somebody who is a little bit more introverted, as you said, little more private, videos still work for you. And you can like, anybody can do anything. You can be learned. Right. And the biggest thing is I remember you saying on a call, you're like, oh, it takes me hours. I was like, no, it's not going to take you out. I remember vividly. I'm going watch. It's taking you hours. You have got to get over yourself. Like, perfectly imperfect. Get mo good enough to move on. Get mo. And let's just get the content out there.

[B]

All right. What I failed to realize was that the. When I sent it to the editor, it didn't have to be perfect. Yeah, that was my problem is I was trying to make every word perfect.

[A]

Although actually do that now.

[B]

I mean, I literally like a. A one to two minute video. It'll take me maybe two to three minutes to do it now. So there's not as many bloopers. Yes. I have a rhythm.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's like I run through the teleprompter once or twice. Say it, you know, talk to it. Like I'm talking on the video and then turn the video on and do my thing. And sometimes, you know, you say the wrong thing. You're like transparent, you know. And I always tell my editor, sorry. And so, yeah, you just move on and then just be done with it. And sometimes I can run through the whole thing and just do it perfect. And other times it's like you, you're like, how many times do I have to say this? Do I like cognate in my mouth? Yeah.

[A]

No, it's not. Same with us. Do we just take. But I mean, video, you know, obviously it's more. But I mean, people didn't understand that the. It. It's the way that it is now. A video is equivalent. So There's a saying like what a picture says, a thousand words. I think one minute of video is equivalent to 1.8 million words. If I'm not mistaken, that is how powerful video is. And. But it's not just a video. It's actually getting the video out there and making sure it's actually being seen. Proper distribution through learning how to target people locally, recharge, making sure you're constantly showing up in their. In their feeds, because a lot of times people are not being seen. Right. You've got to beat the algorithm. You've got to be able to beat the newsfeed. It's. It's a huge part of what it. Of learning.

[B]

Well, and part of what I enjoy is educating people on stuff. And that's what these videos are doing. They're helping us to educate buyers and sellers and just people in general. Like, there's people out there that maybe haven't bought a home because they don't know how. They're afraid. And nobody's out there telling them how. They just tell you to. Let's go show you a property. Find a lender, do it. Yeah, well, no, there's like a whole process and they, you know, some people are very anal and they need to know, like, what's the details.

[A]

And most people are. When it comes to buying or it's. It's a lot and steps.

[B]

You have to break it down into edible chunks. And that's kind of what you do with the videos. You teach us on a lot of these things, the scripts you give us, you break it down into manageable chunks of, hey, inspections, hey this, hey, that. I mean, and it gives them more information and it gives them the time to not have to, like, absorb all of it at once. Yeah, they can take their time and go through the things they want to learn that day. Or maybe they want to just binge watch you forever. You know, I mean, it's just. It gives them that opportunity.

[A]

And how many times have you heard people say, oh, my gosh, I watch your video. But they never commented, they never shared, they never liked. But they've told you, I've watched all your content. I've watched you for hours. But you didn't even know.

[B]

Right. I've had people tell me that they go, I watch all your stuff. And I'm like, really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, and as one of my charity groups that I work with, the girls there are like, I always love the stuff you put out. That's pretty cool. Yeah, like, oh, you guys watch that stuff. Like Yeah. I was like, where do you see that at?

[A]

Yeah, I think the funniest too, people are like, oh, I feel like I know you. And they start talking to you as if, you know, as if you're best friends and you have no idea who they are.

[B]

My daughters go, hey, Cheryl. You're like, who the hell?

[A]

Yes. My daughters get so annoyed. They're like, everywhere we go, everyone knows you and talks to you.

[B]

Mom.

[A]

It's so annoying. But I'm like, hey, it's good for business. Yeah.

[B]

It's like, how do you make a living? And put food on the table.

[A]

Yes. Yeah. Ah. Cheryl, this has been so good. Like, I, I love the fact that you're, you know, you are introverted and you still are doing it. Perfectly imperfect, right? Take getting it out there, not being afraid to post. You know, what used to take you two hours, now you can do in 30 minutes, nine of them. I mean, it's like, you've got to stick to things. You've got to keep on doing it. Innovation being different. You can't keep doing the same things. Like, some things need to change. You definitely, you know, you talk about that in your chapter, which I love, and also your training. I love, you know, the training that you did to accompany with. If you want to see Cheryl's chapter, go to Kristen mayshore.com forward/secrets kristamayshore.com forward slashsecrets, where you can actually see all the top producers giving away all of their secrets in real estate. Cheryl's as well. And also, if you choose to, you can also see the actual training where she kind of breaks everything down in her chapter as well. I always leave every podcast with this. If you could give one piece of advice, Cheryl, again from Dripping Springs, Texas, whether it be business, personal, marriage, life, what would that one piece of advice be?

[B]

You've got to be you. You got to be where you. You're not afraid to put yourself out there. And I've been afraid to do that most of my life. And, you know, you just can't hold yourself back for. Because the reality of it is, you know, you are who you are. And I mean, people love you for who you are. And I think a lot of times we try to hold ourselves back and I don't know why. I was just trying to figure it out.

[A]

So good. I think you and I are close to the same age. It just like you just, you know that when you get an art 10 years on, you look so good. But the only thing you start to realize that, like, it just doesn't matter. You know, who cares if people are going to talk whether you do or whether you don't let them talk. Cheryl hey please if you ever have somebody in Dripping Springs, Texas reach out to Cheryl. She truly is a community market leader. She will take great care of your clients with their buyers or sellers. Sellers. And remember everyone, I hope you are just as fired up as I am. Go to christmasia.com forward/secrets to get all the secrets from top producers across the country. Any agent, every market. Cheryl thank you.

[B]

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

[A]

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 Krista demayshore. Com Limitless Listings. 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 Limitless Listings and I will see you there.