62. How to Hit a Million Your First Year as an Introvert With Will Van Wickler

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Millionaire Real Estate Agent | Episode 62

Title: How to Hit a Million Your First Year as an Introvert With Will Van Wickler
Host: Jason Abrams (Keller Podcast Network)
Guest: Will Van Wickler
Date: December 23, 2024

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Overview

This episode explores how Will Van Wickler, a self-described introvert and young agent from Maine, achieved over $1 million GCI in his first full year as a real estate agent—without a sphere, family connections in the industry, or a high-profile extroverted personality. Will shares the highly systematic, tactical approach that enabled his rapid success, particularly his use of the “Golden Letter” strategy to consistently generate seller leads. He and Jason Abrams break down the step-by-step methods, mindset, and systems Will used—providing a blueprint for agents, especially introverts, seeking scalable, replicable results.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Will's Origin Story and Mindset

• Unconventional Path:
  • Grew up in a small Maine town with no real estate family connections.
  • Decided against a traditional college route; only applied to community college for flexibility.
  • Started an IT consulting business before pivoting to real estate at age 19, inspired by researching financial freedom and reading "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent" (MREA) at 17.
• On Early Entrepreneurship:
  • “I mastered the 80:20 principle in high school before even knowing what it was… I wouldn’t do any of the homework because I was so focused on the outcome and being efficient.” (03:00)
• Parental & Counselor Doubt:
  • “People thought I was insane… I want to start my own business.” (05:12, Will)

Breaking into Real Estate

• Became an agent at 19, during the pandemic:
  • “A week and a half later, $500, just turned 19, walked into a Keller Williams office, and I was a realtor.” (06:30)
• Early Results:
  • First year (part-time, while in school): 28 sides, $100K+ income; realized burnout with “old school methods.”

Achieving $1 Million GCI: The Golden Letter System

• Pivot to Seller Focus & Direct Mail:
  • “I’m not a huge extrovert… I thrive with numbers, systems and processes.” (08:50, Will)
  • Discovered the Golden Letter via MAPS coaching and a video by Gene Rant—realized it was a scalable, results-driven approach for introverts.
• The Golden Letter:
  • Simple, personal letter mailed to homeowners:
    • “Dear [Name], Would you sell your house at [address] to a client of mine? If so, call me on my cell.” (14:26, Will)

Step-by-Step: Building the System

1. Commit to One Simple, Proven System
   • “The most success I’ve ever had is when I’m consistent with something.” (11:10)
2. Select Target Areas
   • Use MLS to identify high-turnover, high-price neighborhoods (esp. second home communities to avoid “where will I go next?” objection). (12:15)
   • “I looked at a map… There’s a lot of listings happening in second home communities…” (12:21, Will)
3. Mail Execution
   • Use regular envelopes, printed addresses, and stamps for maximum open rates.
   • No logos, not handwritten; the key is personal and non-corporate appearance. (14:13)
   • “When you send a regular envelope with a stamp on it… you’re going to open it.” (14:03, Will)
4. Volume & Conversions
   • During peak: Mail 300 letters → 10 calls → 5 listing appointments.
   • At present: 1,000 letters = 1 listing sold (approx. $20K commission). (15:09)
   • “Now I’m focused on my net profit and selling list…” (15:34, Will)
5. Prepping for Calls: Mastering Scripts and Objections
   • Listened every day to talk tracks; goal was to always set the appointment.
   • “If you don’t know exactly what to say prior to the moment you need to say it, you’re liable to say the wrong thing.” (18:07, Jason quoting Phil Jones)
6. On Appointments:
   • Always prepared with comparables and high-confidence listing presentation.

Handling Lead Responses (16:54+)

• Three Types:
  1. Curious (“What would your client pay?”): Add to nurture database; keep them informed.
  2. Not interested: Remove from list.
  3. Ready to sell: Set the appointment—“You got a little bit lucky there, and that happens a lot.” (17:27)

Scaling & Adapting the System

• Initially: “Shotgun approach” with high mail volume. (21:36)
• Now: Highly targeted—mailing to builder/developer opportunities, leveraging relationships and market knowledge for highest ROI (22:12+).
• Builder/Development Pivot:
  • Sourced land/tear down opportunities for builder clients (repeat commission points).
  • “You’ll get paid three or four times on a transaction…” (24:52)
• Team Structure:
  • Solo agent, with a pay-per-deal transaction coordinator and a part-time VA. 95% profit margin. (25:34)

Mindset, Coaching, and Lessons Learned

• Database & Client Relationships:
  • Focus on being a value provider for past clients; clients call him throughout the year for referrals and help (26:22).
  • "Over 20 transactions this year, just past client referrals." (26:49)
• Coaching as a Catalyst:
  • Hired a coach early: “My first coach brought me from $100,000 a year to a million dollars a year.” (28:43)
• Fear & Motivation:
  • “The thought of failure and not doing what I need to do… that’s what keeps me moving.” (29:35)
• Importance of Peer Group:
  • “Had to elevate my friend group… it’s really just building your circle.” (30:00)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On System Selection:
  • “A model and a system could make me a million dollars a year.” (04:35, Will)
• On Simplicity & Consistency:
  • “The simpler it was, the higher the open rate. And with the higher the open rate, the more calls I would get.” (13:34, Will)
• On Rejection & Naysayers:
  • “People laughed at me and they thought I was crazy.” (14:39, Will)
• On Adaptability:
  • “Change is inevitable, but participation is always optional.” (25:56, Jason)
• On Confidence:
  • “I would go there with so much confidence, and it’s not cockiness, but just confidence that I was the best agent for the job.” (20:04, Will)
• On Coaching:
  • “You need somebody that’s looking ahead of you and behind you to tell you where you’re going to go.” (28:43, Will quoting coach)
• On Fear of Failure:
  • “Failure… means I didn’t show up and I didn’t commit to what I was going to do because it’s a choice I have every single day…” (29:35, Will)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Background & Reading MREA: 02:40–05:45
• Getting Licensed & Early Results: 05:46–07:55
• Finding & Implementing the Golden Letter System: 08:39–15:01
• Tactical Breakdown of Mailing Process: 13:00–15:47
• Handling Incoming Calls & Appointments: 16:54–20:36
• Builder/Developer Pivot & Multiple Commission Points: 22:12–25:04
• Coaching & Key Mindset Shifts: 28:43–29:47
• Peer Group & Ongoing Growth: 30:00–31:00

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Practical Takeaways

• Introverts can thrive in sales with scalable, systematized models.
• Direct mail (“Golden Letter”) farming remains a high-ROI, underutilized lead source.
• Consistent execution and mastery of scripts are game changers.
• Coaching and upgrading your network massively accelerates trajectory.
• Strategic pivots—servicing builders/developers, leveraging relationships—create leverage and compound results.

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Actionable Four-Step Model (Summed Up by Jason Abrams)

1. Find your system—copy a proven model that fits your personality.
2. Pick your area—look for high turnover, high price points, or unique seller segments.
3. Send the mail—personal letters, not mass-produced marketing.
4. Answer the phone and know exactly what to say—script practice is non-negotiable.

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Final Thoughts

Will Van Wickler’s story serves as a powerful reminder: massive results don't require extroversion or industry connections—just commitment to a simple, proven process, disciplined execution, and adaptability. For agents looking to break through, especially those who identify as introverts, this episode is both inspiration and an actionable playbook.

Transcript

[Will Van Winkler]

Foreign.

[Jason Abrams]

Welcome back to another episode of the Millionaire Real Estate Agent podcast. I'm Jason Abrams and this is the place where we lift the curtain on the world of real estate like never before. Every week I sit down with visionaries, pirates and mavericks. We're here to document, demonstrate, and most importantly, demystify their game changing models and systems. What secrets propel them to the top and how are they living their dreams? This is about passion, it's about strategy. But above all, it's about real, tangible success. So buckle up and let's dive in. This is the Millionaire Real Estate Agent podcast. You know, there's a group of our listeners out there who don't wake up in the morning wanting to talk to other people. I know, I know, and it might not be you. You might be sitting there thinking, jason, I'm a high D and I'm highly social and everybody I've ever met is someone I love. But we have another group of listeners, the ones that would define themselves as slightly more introverted. They are not out there at the party talking to every single person, yet they still have wild success. Today I'm going to speak to a young man who's had marvelous success. As a matter of fact, he read the Millionaire Real Estate agent at age 17. He became a real estate agent at age 19. And listen to this. As an introvert, he sold 69 homes his first full year in the business and is officially a millionaire real estate agent, having generated over $1 million in GCI in that year. Friends, I am speaking about none other than Will Van Winkler. You are going to love this guy. He is going to tell you exactly how to use golden letters to achie all of your business goals. Sit back and buckle up. This is Will Van Wicklen. Will, how are you?

[Will Van Winkler]

I'm doing great, Jason, how are you?

[Jason Abrams]

I am fantastic. Now, dude, we're going to unpack all of it. We're going to unpack in your first year, a million in gci. We're going to unpack the volume. We're going to unpack all of it. And how old are you, by the way?

[Will Van Winkler]

23 years old.

[Jason Abrams]

And if that doesn't irritate the whole listening audience, nothing will. And we're going to unpack that also. But before we do, I want to know the story, man. How did you find your way into the greatest industry in the world?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah, so I grew up in a small town in Maine. I don't have any parents or friends in real estate. So it's kind of random how it all happened. And I remember being in high school in a humanities class, and the guidance counselors came in and they're making the rounds, talking about college and getting ready for SATs and career opportunities and what you could make take. And I remember sitting there and thinking to myself, there's no way I'm going to go another four years into college and work for somebody else with a 9 to 5. My brain is just not wired that way at all. I think I mastered the 80:20 principle in high school before even knowing what it was. And that just meant I'd get an A on my test, but I wouldn't do any of the homework because I was so focused on the outcome and being efficient. And I quickly learned you don't get rewarded for efficiency in the regular school system or even a 9 to 5 job. So I knew there would have to be a better way. And I just. I started researching financial freedom, how to make money on your own. And the entrepreneurial spirit took over. I started learning about real estate. Read the book the mrea. And then, you know, things started to snowball.

[Jason Abrams]

You're doing this in high school, you're researching this?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah. And I told my mother I didn't want to go to college. I think she had a heart attack. But I knew I was always quick on my feet, and I could always figure it out. So when it came time to apply for colleges, she said, you got to go to school and just do something. So I said, you know what? I'm going to go to community college. It's the only college I applied for. And that took some people kind of by surprise because that wasn't a normal thing where I went to high school. Right. One of the best schools in the state. The guidance counselor was like, you're making a big mistake. And I said, you know what? If I don't know what I want to do, why am I going to go spend $50,000 a year doing it? I want to build a business. So this kind of allowed me some flexibility to, you know, be home, do my schoolwork, crush that. It was pretty straightforward. And then start other businesses and eventually get into real estate.

[Jason Abrams]

So you read the millionaire real estate agent book in high school?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah, I was 17 years old at the time.

[Jason Abrams]

And what was your aha from reading it?

[Will Van Winkler]

A model and a system could make me a million dollars a year. And that's how my brain works. It's systems, numbers, models, everything like that. And it just clicked. I was like, the harder I work, the more money I make, and I can Take control of my destiny. And that was the biggest thing for me.

[Jason Abrams]

For those of you that are new, and we bring on new audience members every week. When we say mrea, we're talking about the Millionaire Real Estate Agent, which was a book that was written by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan and Dave Jenks, may he rest in peace. And it's the namesake for our program. And I can't imagine reading it at 17. Did you try to talk to your buddies about it? Were you like, hey, guys, you're not going to believe what I'm reading? And what was their reactions?

[Will Van Winkler]

People thought I was crazy. And I remember sitting down with the high school counselor because they have to meet with everybody like, oh, what are your college plans? And I told her, I said, I want to start my own business. And I didn't know where real estate would fall into that, but it was a model for being an entrepreneur. And I told her that, and she thought I was insane. They said, I think you're making a big mistake. I think you need a backup plan. So many entrepreneurs fail. And I knew I wasn't going to let myself fail. I didn't have really many other options. Right. I did fine in high school, but I wasn't a scholar and I didn't have these extracurriculars, so, you know, I had to figure it out, which I did. And they thought I was insane.

[Jason Abrams]

So, yeah, I hear that. So you got your real estate license and then how old were you when you got the license?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah, so I went to my first year of college and just kind of got through it. And on the side, I had a IT consulting company just because I always like to work. I was always entrepreneurial. And when I'm sitting still, I just feel like I need to be doing something. So the first year I was going to school, I was starting that company. And then my second year, I just turned 19. The pandemic struck and everything stopped. And I remember I was like, here's my time to take action while everybody else is kind of sitting still. The school didn't know what they were doing with Zoom and all that. And I asked one of my clients who was a real estate investor, I said, how do I get into investing in real estate? And he said, the best way to get into it is go get your real estate license, learn how to transact, learn how to find the deals, learn how to help people find deals, and then you'll know exactly what to pick up or what to sell. So a week and A half later, $500 just turned 19, walked into a Keller Williams realty office, and I was a realtor.

[Jason Abrams]

That's the craziest thing. So, you know, normally my next question would be, did you have success right off the bat? And everyone says no. But in this case, in your first year, you sold 69 units. So did you have success right off the bat?

[Will Van Winkler]

So for my first kind of year in real estate, I did 28 sides, and I was only working part time, about 15 hours a week because I was still going to school. And I thought, okay, this is cool. I made over $100,000. I thought that was awesome. And I knew there was a better way because I was doing all the old school methods that, you know, older agents teach you. The open house is the door to door, you know, calling expireds and for sale by owners in a TCPA compliant manner, of course. And I was just really kind of burnt out by it. I was like, I made a great income, but I feel like I'm kind of stuck in this hamster wheel. And I knew I was either had to reinvent the business or find something else. So then that next year is when I really figured it out. So halfway through the year, I said, I'm going to reinvent the business. I ended up selling 34 units in six months. And then I said, you know what? I'm dropping out of college. And I went all in the following years. Last year was my first full year in the business and did over a million dollars in gci.

[Jason Abrams]

What did your mom say when you told her you're dropping out of college?

[Will Van Winkler]

She thought I was insane. And she moved out of state and has this awesome career in the insurance business. Doesn't understand real estate. Still doesn't really get what I do. But she's like, you're an adult. You'll figure it out. But I think you're making a mistake.

[Jason Abrams]

So good. All right, we're about to unpack exactly how Will built out the models to the million dollars in his first full year in real estate. I'm going to take all the notes. So you're driving right now at 110 miles an hour in your new defender. You don't have to pull over. I'm taking the notes. You can sign [e-mail] and they come out every Thursday. Will, tell us exactly what did you do and how'd you do it?

[Will Van Winkler]

So what I did is I just looked at how are people having success, and what's a model that I can follow is I did real estate with the conventional Models and systems. And I'm not a huge extrovert, right? Like, I don't love big groups of people. I don't love having a ton of phone conversations, you know, going to mega camp. I love seeing friends, I love having one on one conversations. But it stresses me out being around a lot of people. I'm not the conventional real estate agent. I thrive with numbers, systems and processes. So I started to research proven models and systems in the real estate business that I could do and take control of. And when I was kind of restarting my business, I knew I wanted to focus on sellers because when you have the inventory, the buyers will come. So I found, you know, one system that literally changed my life, which was the golden letter. I remember watching, you know, the pandemics happening, a video with Gina Rant, and it was a maps training with the simple golden letter. And I thought, I'm going to do this. So I went all in. I hired a maps coach at the time and they said, you know what, this is your one thing. Just go do this. I built the model for this very simple mofr and it blew my entire business up.

[Jason Abrams]

Okay, two questions on that before we get into the model. Number one, what was it? Because Gene is a genius. What is it that Gene said that you heard in such a way that it awoken you?

[Will Van Winkler]

Well, Gene has a pretty similar story. Started when he was young. He doesn't love talking to people. He's not this big extrovert. And it was a farming model without having to be the mayor of the town. I didn't have to farm for 15 years prior. It was, you're making an offer for immediate response, and I'm getting immediate people to raise their hand and say, I want to. And then the other thing was, the better he got at conversion, the more money he made. And I had time. So I just mastered the conversion. And I knew it was a very simple system that I could scale easily. That was the biggest thing.

[Jason Abrams]

Okay, and then number two, did you run it exactly as Gene runs it when you started, or did you start to make tweaks and changes before you even got out of the gate?

[Will Van Winkler]

I'm a very simple guy. I literally just copied everything he did. And that's what brought me the most.

[Jason Abrams]

Successful, by the way, Gary. And if you're new to the show, when we say Gary, we're talking about Gary Keller. He says all the time that the easiest and best way to be creative is to copy somebody who's already doing it at a high level and then make Incremental changes as you go. But starting from scratch and having to come up with all the ideas is the slow boat to Jalapo. Okay, walk me through this. I want to do this. I want to wake up tomorrow. Teach me how. What's the first step?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah. So for me it was, I mean, before even finding the letter was just finding a system that resonated with me that I would do consistently. Because the most success I've ever had is when I'm consistent with something and I see agents, they jump around all the time. It's the shiny object system. So I just said, hey, I'm going to stick with this and I'm going to commit to it to at least six months. And then I found the system which was the golden letter. I literally took the system that worked for somebody else and I started to gather the collateral and find out where I wanted to mail. And I'm a systems guy, right. So I look for where I can send these. So for me, I've just broke down high turnover areas, high price point areas, and a place where I want it to actually work. The biggest thing is I could rebuild my business from scratch. So why don't I go after high dollar sellers in areas I want to work and be able to convert them at a high level and ultimately make a lot of money off of them.

[Jason Abrams]

Perfect. Okay, so step one was find your system. And you did, you found golden letters. Step two is decide where you want to send the letters. And in your mind that was high turnover and high price point. Walk me through. How did you actually find the areas? What'd you do, what searches did you run, what data did you pull in?

[Will Van Winkler]

So simple. I went on my mls, I hit closed and I looked at a map.

[Jason Abrams]

And what was your. Aha.

[Will Van Winkler]

It was, wow, there's a lot of listings happening in second home communities where people maybe don't use these homes a lot. And I did not have to come up with the objection of I don't know where I'm going to go when I sell. And that was the hardest objection for me to overcome at the time.

[Jason Abrams]

That's brilliant. Okay, so you look at this map, you see these areas, you then start researching those areas and that's your insight, which is, wait a second, these are predominantly second home communities.

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah. And I also didn't have to deal with the objection of, well, you look really young or what's your experience level? A lot of these sellers I would actually never even meet in person.

[Jason Abrams]

Unbelievable. Okay, so you found your system, you've Done your research, and you've picked your area. What's next?

[Will Van Winkler]

Send the mail out. So for me, I just took massive action. I did all the work myself. I sent out the very simple letter exactly how Gene and his team did it, with the forever stamp and to a T. The phone started to ring. And before the phone started to ring, I mastered the conversations.

[Jason Abrams]

Okay, I'm stopping you because before we get to the conversations, I want to unpack the mail. So this show is all about being very tactical and very specific. So people are out there, and they want to be able to follow your model. When you say send mail, I got a myriad of options. I got postcards, I got letters, I got envelopes. Tell me exactly what to do.

[Will Van Winkler]

So with research, right, we find out what exactly works. So I didn't have to reinvent the wheel. I found the simpler it was, the higher the open rate. And with the higher the open rate, the more calls I would get. So I found when you're getting your mail, you get a lot of junk mail. Just sold, just listed postcards. Here's a recipe from an agent. It all goes in the trash because it's not calling for immediate response. But when you sell, when you send a regular envelope with a stamp on it addressed to your name, you're gonna open it. Regardless of if you're busy or you have a crying baby in your hands, you're opening that piece of mail. And that's exactly what I did.

[Jason Abrams]

And is it a handwritten address on the envelope, or did you print them through a computer?

[Will Van Winkler]

I printed them through a computer because psychology told me if there's a stamp on it and it's addressed to somebody, they're going to open it, and then the letter itself will trigger the response.

[Jason Abrams]

Awesome. So I opened this envelope, and now I'm looking at a letter. Tell me exactly what it says.

[Will Van Winkler]

Dear Jason, would you sell your house at 123 Main street to a client of mine? If so, call me on my cell.

[Jason Abrams]

Phone and then your cell phone number.

[Will Van Winkler]

That's it.

[Jason Abrams]

Okay, but tell me what it really says. Is that really it?

[Will Van Winkler]

That's it. And people laughed at me, and they thought I was crazy.

[Jason Abrams]

Now walk me through open rates. Like that. What am I looking at?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah. So I found in the height of the pandemic, the numbers have gotten a little bit different with the market changing. And that's fine. It's still effective. I would send 300 letters, and I would get 10 calls, and I would get five listing appointments. It was insane.

[Jason Abrams]

Okay, now fast forward to today and for posterity, because this is going in the time capsule. What do your conversion numbers look like today?

[Will Van Winkler]

For every 1,000 letters I send, I sell one listing with an average commission of about $20,000.

[Jason Abrams]

That's fantastic. And everyone remember, commissions are 100% negotiable, and that should be between you and your seller. So I find it interesting that when we're talking about Pandemic, you broke down for me the number of calls to the number of appointments. Today, it's the number of letters to the number of sold listings. Why the change?

[Will Van Winkler]

Because I was focused on the wrong numbers in the beginning. I was focused on going on a bunch of appointments and signing a bunch of listings, and now I'm focused on my net profit and selling list. So it was a shift I've made, and through coaching and just learning, it's all about selling the listings, not just taking them.

[Jason Abrams]

That's really interesting to me. If I wanted to back up and I wanted to get an idea, for every thousand letters you send, how many listing appointments will you go on?

[Will Van Winkler]

Only two or three. And that's another pivot I've made in my business of not going on every single appointment and actually turning some business down if I'm not the right fit or I don't think they're realistic with pricing or the presentation of the property.

[Jason Abrams]

This makes sense to me. Okay, so you printed all these letters on a copy machine or home computer. You stuffed all the envelopes yourself. You put on the Forever stamps. Did you lick all these envelopes, or did you buy the ones with the stickers?

[Will Van Winkler]

I bought the ones with the stickers. That was the only money I spent. I would literally do this at the market center at one of the desks there. I didn't even have an office. I mean, I was a broke college student, right? So I was doing this all out there. I looked like a crazy person signing all these letters and did it all there.

[Jason Abrams]

I love that. Okay, so you found the system, you committed to doing it, you picked your area, you sent the mail the most simple letter of all time, and now you had to become an expert on the conversation. You have incoming phone calls. Talk to me about that discussion. What does it look like exactly?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah. So to get ready for it, somebody sent me a USB drive, and I would listen to these in my car, driving to the office every day. And again, people thought I was crazy for doing it. And I mastered all of these conversations, all of the objection handlers, and I knew exactly what to say when the calls came. In because I would practice every single day. So when the calls came in, every objection that came at me, I knew exactly how to handle it. And my one intention was just to set the appointment. People would call, they'd say, hey, I got your letter. And I'd have one one to three different responses, depending on what they gave me.

[Jason Abrams]

Walk me through those responses.

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah, the first one is somebody just digging. They're like, what would your client pay? Those are people that are more just curious. They're not actually going to take action. You can tell by the questions they ask. So from there, I kind of pivot and just say, hey, it sounds like you're really comfortable in your home. I'd love to stay in touch with you and just update you on the market. What's a good email for you? And that is a nurture. So I put them in the database, put them on a smart plan. That's great. The other bucket of people is people that just aren't interested, Take them off the mailing list and move on. The other response I'd get is, hey, we actually need to sell our house right now. Can you come over? They don't even care about the buyer. They just need an agent. And you got a little bit lucky there, and that happens a lot.

[Jason Abrams]

I gotta jump in because it would be so easy to ignore the genius that you just heard. Did you hear him say that he listened to all of these talk tracks? He memorized exactly what to say. He practiced what to say. And then when I asked him, well, what did you say? He knew exactly what to say. Here's the takeaway. If you don't know exactly what to say prior to the moment you need to say it, you're liable to say the wrong thing. Phil Jones. And if you haven't listened to his episode of our show, he did two with us. Go listen. And he says the worst time to think of what to say is the moment you need to say it. And he's 100% right. The reason that will is Jedi is because, number one, he understands his simple system to making the phone ring. And number two, which I think is even more important, he knows exactly what to say once the phone rings. Friends, take note. Please don't wait for the conversation. To determine how a conversation should go, make the notes on what the most important talk tracks in your life are, and then go practice those tracks, because if you do it for long enough, all of it starts to sound incredibly natural. That's so interesting. And I should ask the question you were working with A myriad of buyers at the time. So you were sending this mail out because you had people that you knew would be interested in buying in those communities, Is that right?

[Will Van Winkler]

That's right. And I also knew there's 500 agents in my brokerage and thousands of brokerage agreements with buyers. I could find the buyer. The challenge I had was finding the inventory for buyers to purchase. And I knew I could bring a solution to the market with people who did not know what they were sitting on.

[Jason Abrams]

So once you have this phone call, you have this cohort, we have these three cohorts, the database nurture, the remove from the list. And then the people who said, come over to my house. Now you're sitting in the house, you're 20 years old. What happens next?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah. So I would print out my comparables. I knew exactly what the house would sell for. I knew the market value and I had my listing presentation. And I would go there with so much confidence, and it's not cockiness, but just confidence that I was the best agent for the job. I knew exactly how much the house was worth and I knew I could sell it. And people felt that confidence. I had a process and a system, and I still do to this day, where the appointment's the same way. I'd go tour the house, I'd put my paperwork down on their dining room table, and then we'd talk about the numbers and figure out what's best for their family and ultimately sign listing paperwork with the first appointment. That was always the goal.

[Jason Abrams]

And what's the average sales price that you end up in?

[Will Van Winkler]

750,000.

[Jason Abrams]

Were you surprised that people that lived in $750,000 homes, which I think is an expensive house, by the way, and our friends at Chessy over in California saying, you can't buy a starter home, by the way, but between you and I, will, I think it's an expensive house. Were you surprised that they all didn't just know a real estate agent or that they would respond to a letter like that? I think there's this idea that everybody has an agent already.

[Will Van Winkler]

I was shocked. And 750,000 in Maine is luxury. These are high net worth individuals. Attorneys, doctors, lawyers, all that kind of stuff. I think I skipped the car. The first one I signed, I could not even believe it.

[Jason Abrams]

When you sign the first one, you go back to the office. Did you immediately know that you were onto something or did it take a little while for you to realize what you had stumbled into?

[Will Van Winkler]

I doubled down all of the commission on that first one. I just committed, I said, I'm going to spend all this money and just send more of these out.

[Jason Abrams]

So as we sit today, how many pieces of mail are you sending out on a monthly or annual basis?

[Will Van Winkler]

The business has transitioned where I've been able to nurture a lot of that business and turn it into relationships, where now it is more prospecting for the client base and used as a value proposition to builders and developers, where I might only send out a couple thousand pieces of mail a month. Yet I'm getting a very, very high response because of how tactical and targeted everything is now. Where before I was doing the shotgun approach, I was sending them out a little bit everywhere and today it's a totally different model.

[Jason Abrams]

Okay, well, let's unpack that. Because you get to a point where you're having the success and the market changes and you start to tweak the model. What's the tweak that you made and why did you make?

[Will Van Winkler]

Has nothing to do with the model itself. It's where I was sending them, which I think interests a lot of people because they start blowing up these systems when they stop working. For me. It's harder to find listings right now because of the economy or the election or whatever excuse and objection sellers have. We got to find the really motivated people. And I saw a gap in the market with developers and builders who couldn't scale because they didn't have land or they couldn't find opportunity. And I think it's a lot easier calling somebody when you have a piece of value for them instead of calling and asking them for a piece of business. So I was working with one builder at the time and I saw kind of his process and said, hey, what if I could bring you five or 10 more deals a year? Would that be great? Absolutely. So I just started prospecting for land opportunities and development opportunities so I could bring inventory to the market because I couldn't really find a lot of existing listings. And it blew up. Just like the initial success I had with the kind of retail golden ladder, working with the builders and contractors has yielded an insane, insane response.

[Jason Abrams]

That's so interesting. So now you're sending mail to people that have land or tear downs that are on land and then you're marketing that land to your builder network, is that right?

[Will Van Winkler]

That's right. And my database, you know, I asked people, past clients, hey, if I found a deal, would you be interested? Everybody raised their hand. So I have a newsletter that goes out, I have my builder list, my developer list, and I just bring Them deals.

[Jason Abrams]

Walk me through the newsletter. The newsletter is actually a place where you provide them information on what you have available. Is that right?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah, it's a deal newsletter. So it has nothing to do with, you know, the community or a recipe. It's a different model than some other real estate agents. I didn't have a sphere, so I want to just to provide value and cut right to the chase and be the guy who has the deals where it's, hey, here are three deals this week. If you have any interest, book a call with me and we'll go over details.

[Jason Abrams]

We're into a new model, so let's unpack it in a logical way. In this case, you're still using the letters as your communication channel of choice. Walk me through step one. Is it again figuring out where you're going to send the letter or is it figure out what builders want?

[Will Van Winkler]

So I have a list of the clients I work with and I know exactly where we're looking. So what I do is I just go onto the GIS tools or the mapping tools or just drive around for dollars on my way home and see, oh, there might be a good land opportunity here. I know exactly the margin they need to hit. I know the house they want to build, and then I bring them this opportunity gold platter. And they typically go for it.

[Jason Abrams]

So step one is analyzing the areas that the builders want. So step one is really find the builders.

[Will Van Winkler]

Yep.

[Jason Abrams]

Figure out what they want, then send the letter to all those homeowners. And now you're serving up those deals on a silver platter to your built in builder buyers.

[Will Van Winkler]

Exactly. So you'll get paid three or four times on a transaction and bring inventory to the market where we really need it.

[Jason Abrams]

That's tremendous. And when you say you get paid three or four times on a transaction, unpack that for me. What are the pay points?

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah, so you get paid on the, typically the purchase of the asset, the land, or the tear down. And then a lot of these new construction transactions, buyers don't have representation or agents. And in Maine, we're allowed to represent both parties. And then the other thing, Jason, is a lot of those people have a house to sell, Right. So sometimes we're getting paid on that. And then the builders have loyalty to you where they'll just throw you deals, hey, I need an agent for this. We'll write this contract up.

[Jason Abrams]

Man, that's so good. And are you still running solo or have you brought any leverage into your life in any way?

[Will Van Winkler]

I have a pay per deal. Transaction coordinator and a part time virtual assistant.

[Jason Abrams]

So that brings you a nice margin.

[Will Van Winkler]

I'm guessing right around 95% profit.

[Jason Abrams]

95%, that's right. Will, I'm Trey. I want your life. I don't know how I'm going to get it. I don't look 23 anymore, but I have the energy.

[Will Van Winkler]

It's cold here. I don't know if you want to be here.

[Jason Abrams]

So good, dude. Absolutely genius. Will, here's what I love, man. I love that you doubled down and made a slight tweak when the market changed. Because change is inevitable, but participation is always optional. You're now building a database of sellers and builders and buyers and the people that are buying these homes. Are you purposefully running a touch campaign for your past clients and sphere of influence?

[Will Van Winkler]

So what I do is a little bit different than like the 36 touch where my clients just become part of my life and they know I have a guy for everything. And that's. People joke with me all the time about it. So I have made it very clear if you need anything, if it's a pressure washer or, you know, somebody to hang a picture, call me. And what happens is my 36 touch campaign is people reaching out to me multiple times throughout the year and just me providing value back to them or bringing them more deals or bringing them opportunity. And what that's resulted in is over 20 transactions this year, just past client referrals. Because they know the service I deliver and the results I get them is pretty straightforward. Speaks for itself.

[Jason Abrams]

Will, I want to switch gears if we go all the way back to ancient Greece. In Athens, there was a gentleman that bought a house. And he builds a beautiful garden in the backyard. And he invites the greatest thinkers of the day over to hang out with him. His name is Epicuros and it becomes called Epicurus Garden. We would like you to join us in our garden. Will you join us?

[Will Van Winkler]

Absolutely.

[Jason Abrams]

Will, what do you say to every parent out there whose kid is saying I don't want to go to school. And you know what they're thinking? If you could be the voice in their parents heads, what would you tell them?

[Will Van Winkler]

As long as they have a plan and they have determination, let them figure it out. And I think there's so much power in having somebody figure it out. Especially in a world where we want to keep everybody between guardrails, you've got to fail. And the best learning opportunities I've had were through failure.

[Jason Abrams]

As you look up, and I mean hell, you're in your early 20s, so to ask your perspective on things is unique for our listening audience. What's your big goal, man? What are you trying to accomplish when you look out 30 years? What's your big plan?

[Will Van Winkler]

I just want to help people build the model and help them have a system to run towards. I don't know if that's with a real estate team yet, or public speaking or volunteering, but I just want to live a big life and bring people in and kind of show them what I've done and help people along the way, because I didn't really have a mentor to show me this, and I'm very lucky that I ended up at Keller Williams. And I just think, gosh, if I didn't go through the right path, I probably wouldn't be where I am. So it's just getting people to focus on the right things and do the right thing.

[Jason Abrams]

You hired a coach before you finished your first year. Most people don't do that. Why did you do that and what did you learn about it?

[Will Van Winkler]

I took bold, and I remember the coach pulled me aside and he said, will, I'm not trying to pitch you on anything. He said, I was you once. You need somebody that's looking ahead of you and behind you to tell you where you're going to go. And it was a lot of money at the time. To me, it made me sick actually committing to it. And my first coach brought me from $100,000 a year to a million dollars a year. And it was just because they knew exactly what I needed to do. I didn't. I needed that guiding light, and I just followed exactly what they said.

[Jason Abrams]

Who was that person?

[Will Van Winkler]

Ariel Anderson was my first maps coach.

[Jason Abrams]

All right, final question for me, Will. Fear failure is an emotion of the future, meaning that you can only be afraid of things, of the unknown, when no one's afraid of their past and very few people are scared in the present. Is there anything that scares you when you look out?

[Will Van Winkler]

Failure.

[Jason Abrams]

How so? What does it mean?

[Will Van Winkler]

It means I didn't show up and I didn't commit to what I was going to do because it's a choice I have every single day, and that's what keeps me up at night. It's just the thought of failure and not doing what I need to do, and that's what keeps me moving.

[Jason Abrams]

Okay, I thought that was my last question. It was, and here's my real last question. You've had a tremendous amount of financial success, and most of your friends are still in college. How has that worked out for you.

[Will Van Winkler]

Surrounding myself with the right people and that's where, you know, coaching and, you know, Gary's top 100 mastermind comes into play of. I had to elevate my friend group and not because they're bad people. I just was having different problems and I needed different people to talk to today. Maybe some of my friends are 35 or 40, but it's relatable and they're able to help me and we all help each other out and it's just getting in the right room. That's what I learned. I was so scared to invest in myself through coaching or mentoring or flying to Austin, Texas for Maine and now that's what keeps me going and that's what keeps me sharp. And it's really just building your circle.

[Jason Abrams]

There it is. Will, it's fantastic. My friend, thank you for sharing so openly about your model. I absolutely love the way that you think. Hank, you are at the very beginning of the most amazing journey and I just want to tell you, you are so far ahead of the super majority of people out there. It is so inspiring. Thank you for everything you did for us.

[Will Van Winkler]

Yeah, my pleasure. Appreciate all the help along the way.

[Jason Abrams]

There it is. It's another one. It's in the books. Here's what you listen to and what you love about this guy is he's not trying to be someone who he's not. He didn't get into real estate and say, gosh, I have to change my personality. I better start going to every cocktail party and wearing a flashy coat and making sure that everyone's talking to me because I'm peacocking all around the room. He didn't do any of that. He looked up and was self aware enough to know I'm an introvert. I need to make my phone ring, not ring somebody else's phone. And he did it in a really simple way. Number one, find your system. So he's a kid that wakes up and looks across the industry, knowing he has to find one that allows an introvert to succeed, looks at all the available systems and then pick the one he wants and copies it explicitly, which is genius, by the way. Gary Keller says the easiest way to be creative is to copy somebody else's system and then make incremental improvements along the way. So you start with a base that somebody else has proven. Number two, pick your area. In this case, Will looks up and says if there's high turnover and it's the right price point, that's exactly what I'm looking for. For step three. Send the mail. And here, you heard him right, he's folding envelopes in his office and he's putting them in and he's addressing them and he's sending it out. He's not looking for someone else to do it because that was his job. He sends the mail and then simply answer the phone. You know, the idea that most people don't answer the phone when it rings, even if it's opportunity calling, blows me away. He's really clear that I have to answer the phone and know exactly what to say when I do. Friends, this might be the easiest four step system that we've ever unpacked on this show and it's one that you can put into practice tomorrow. Give this a go. I'm going to say something and it's going to be controversial. I can't understand why every real estate agent isn't sending golden letters to some neighborhoods in their market or at the very least doing regular mail farming. If you are sleeping on the mail, friends, I believe you're sleeping on the industry. Go forth and do likewise. There it is. That wraps another episode. Friends, I don't know what you're taking out of this. I really don't. I'll tell you what I want you to be taking out of it, which is these are the people that are having tremendously big lives. And the reason it's happening is because they're setting up the models and system to do just that. Gary Keller told me that leadership is teaching people how to think so that they do the things they need to do when they need to do them, so that ultimately they get the things they want when they want to have them. And that's what I want for you. You're all leaders, but it begins with leading ourselves. If you're enjoying this podcast, I want you to click the subscribe button anywhere that you get your podcasts. We want to be the voice in your head every single week.

[Will Van Winkler]

Week.

[Jason Abrams]

And every week we're dropping new content. We also send out a newsletter at the conclusion of every show to make sure that you get the highest points and the models and systems that were discussed. So if you want to sign up, I need your name and your email address. Head over to themillionaireagentpodcast.com millionaire agent podcast.com enter your name and your email address and every week that newsletter will be in your box. Friends, you just went on a journey. I hope that what happens between now and the next time we meet is absolutely wonderful for you. Thanks for listening. I'll see you next week.

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