Episode Overview

Podcast: The Rich Somers Report
Host: Rich Somers
Guest: Gabe Mendez (Top 250 Nationally Ranked Real Estate Agent, Team Lead, Broker)
Title: Closing the Deal: Today’s Proven Sales Strategies for Real Estate Agents
Release Date: September 18, 2025

Main Theme:
This episode dives deep into actionable sales strategies for real estate agents in 2025 and beyond. Rich and Gabe dissect the art of closing deals, the enduring power of personal connection, harnessing social media, mastering mindset, and the essential habits that separate high achievers from industry dropouts. Their discussion is tailored for both new and seasoned agents hungry to survive and thrive in any market environment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mastering Sales in a High-Tech, High-Distraction Age

• Human Connection Over Automation

  • Gabe laments today’s overreliance on automation and AI:
    “As the world goes more Jetsons, I’m teaching my agents to go more Flintstones. Go knock on the door, make the cold call, go to the open house.” ([00:00], [15:06])
  • Personal contact is critical for major conversations—especially money:
    “Any money conversation needs to be done in person right now. Nothing is going to replace that feeling.” ([00:00], [15:14])

• Sales is Universal

  • Rich:
    “Everything we do as entrepreneurs, as business owners, as real estate investors, all starts with sales.” ([01:26])
  • Gabe expands:
    “Every single day, every interaction, you’re either being sold or you’re selling. Ultimately, it’s influence.” ([02:10])

Memorable Moment

Rich shares his conviction that if he had to start over, he’d choose to be a real estate agent due to the endless potential in sales ([01:26]).

2. Thriving Regardless of Market Conditions

• Take Control, Don’t Rely on the Market

  • “The challenge with most real estate professionals is they relied too heavily on the market to dictate how they ran their business... The market will always be the market.” ([03:40])
  • Focus on activities: connection, follow-up, value-adds—not timing the market or waiting for perfect conditions.
  • Shift focus from “interest rates” to “affordable payments”:
    “If the interest rate is 70%, but your payment’s affordable, what does it matter?” ([03:53])

• Distraction: The Real Enemy

  • “The number one issue I see today with why people aren’t where they want to be is the amount of distractions they have.” ([06:04])
  • Eliminate distractions for improved focus and results.

3. Lead Generation Strategies: The Blueprint

• Webinars & Education as Lead Magnets

  • Rich outlines a full funnel for targeting veterans via webinars (paid ads > education > lender call > prequalification > show homes) ([07:11])
  • Gabe emphasizes that most agents simply don’t know the “how” of lead generation, not just the “what”:
    “Most coaches teach people the what; they rarely teach them the how.” ([09:08])

• Consistency Yields Growth

  • During COVID, Gabe doubled down on webinars and ads, leading to explosive business growth:
    “2020 was my year of separation…when everyone was retracting, we pushed all the chips in. We grew 105% from 2020 to 2021.” ([12:03])

4. Leveraging (and Not Over-Leveraging) Technology

• AI Can’t Replace You

  • “Everyone is automating their voice, emails, DMs… I’m telling my boys: go more Flintstones.” ([15:06])
  • Direct, personal interaction wins—automation supports, but does not replace core selling.

• Belly-to-Belly Selling

  • Meet clients in person when closing deals; don’t delegate the most important touchpoints.

• Memorable Quote:
  “People buy you before they buy what you do.” ([18:07])

5. Winning with Door-Knocking and In-Person Tactics

• Gabe’s Door-Knocking Playbook:

  • 93% of a decision is about your tonality and body language—not the script ([20:15])
  • Let clients do the talking; ask questions to uncover motivations:
    “Selling isn’t telling. Selling is asking really great questions.”
    • Example qualifying dialogue and how to “future pace” for the prospect ([21:58], [24:34])
  • Memorable Moment:
    Gabe: “If you come from a place of wanting to solve someone’s problems, they will feel how genuine you are.” ([25:39])

• Open Houses: Supplement, Don’t Rely

  • Open houses are good but reactive; should not be an agent's primary strategy ([26:22])

Tips for Hosting Effective Open Houses

• Arrive early, display excellence, represent the homeowner
• Engage with visitors to qualify and build rapport
• Always have support on site (lender/associate agent)
• Use scale questions to identify fit (e.g., “On a scale of 1 to 9, how closely does this home fit your needs?”) ([32:21])

6. Mindset, Self-Development, and Emotional Intelligence

• Before Seeking More, Master Yourself

  • “If you’re not making the amount of money you want in 2025… it’s not an external problem. It’s an inside issue.” ([06:04])
  • Importance of “upgrading your operating system” or mindset before investing in superficial improvements ([63:14])

• EQ > IQ

  • Gabe: “If you can’t control your emotions, your emotions will control you…Control yourself. High EQ is just as important as IQ.” ([39:24])

• Becoming the Right Partner

  • “If you want to attract the right partner, you first need to become the right type of guy.” ([60:50])
  • “So many people talk about finding the right partner, but no one talks about becoming the right partner.” ([60:55])

Memorable Story

Gabe’s personal transformation—depression, financial struggle, faith, discipline, and meeting his wife—underscored the power of personal evolution ([51:59]-[59:38]).

7. Content & Social Media: Modern Prospecting

• Don’t Overthink It

  • Agents avoid content due to fear of judgment. Gabe:
    “You look and sound the same way in person—just get over it.” ([44:20])

• Content Strategy: Be the FAQ & Build Your Brand

  • Post answers to common buyer questions; don’t let Google or ChatGPT educate your prospects ([44:20])
  • Treat your Instagram Reels like Netflix: clear thumbnails, bold titles, color coding ([44:20])
  • Use “shiny object” tours of luxury listings to attract, but always supplement with value-building and personal branding ([47:16], [48:24])

• Know, Like, Trust, Similarity

  • Success on social relies on building familiarity, trust (via social proof and education), and similarity, not just likability ([48:40])

8. DISC and Personality Testing for Sales

• Gabe recommends using the DISC profile (plus EVO and CliftonStrengths) to understand teammates and prospects ([34:52])
• Match roles and expectations to personality profiles ([36:57])
• Learn to “read the room,” check your strengths and weaknesses as a leader/salesperson ([37:36])

9. Financial Prudence & Investing in Yourself

• Don’t Spend Just to Look Successful

  • Invest in improving your mindset and skills before image
  • Build a nest egg, pay off debt, six months of reserves before spending on cars or luxury ([62:19], [65:28])

• Invest in Upgrading Your ‘Operating System’

  • Beware: “Most people in 2025, most real estate professionals, have the iPhone 16, but they’re operating on iOS 13 software. Your software on the inside is going to determine how the hardware on the outside affects you.” ([63:14])

10. Local Market Outlook: San Diego & Beyond

• Both hosts bullish on long-term San Diego real estate
• Gabe highlights City Heights and San Ysidro as undervalued, high-growth neighborhoods ([71:14])

11. The #1 Trait of Top Performers

Rich (Q): "What's the one trait that separates top real estate agents from those that wash out?"
Gabe:
“They're willing to do the boring work longer.” ([69:36], [69:53])

• Success comes from consistency and patience, not chasing “shiny objects”

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• The Importance of Direct Human Effort:
  • Gabe: “As the world is going more Jetsons, I’m teaching my agents to go more Flintstones.” ([00:00])
• On Mindset and Distraction:
  • Gabe: “If we just learn how to delete the things that aren’t serving us, add more of what is, if we could just do that alone, 90% difference.” ([06:04])
• On Personal Branding:
  • Gabe: “People buy you before they buy what you do.” ([18:07])
• Door-Knocking Wisdom:
  • Gabe: “Selling isn’t telling. Selling is asking really great questions.” ([21:58])
• On Building Character:
  • Gabe: “If you want to attract a 10, you need to be that 10 that you want to attract.” ([61:04])
• On Consistency:
  • Gabe: “The number one separation that I see from the top 1% of 1 percenters and everyone else… is they’re willing to do the boring work longer.” ([69:53])

Key Timestamps

• [00:00] Gabe on going “Flintstones” instead of “Jetsons”: the power of personal connection.
• [07:11] Rich details a high-converting VA funnel for agents.
• [12:03] Gabe's business doubles after playing offense during COVID.
• [15:06] The “Flintstones not Jetsons” sales philosophy.
• [20:15] Door-knocking: 93% of sale is nonverbal/tonal, not scripting.
• [32:21] The crucial “scale” question for pre-qualifying buyers at open houses.
• [39:24] Managing emotions—sales EQ as critical as IQ.
• [44:20] Gabe’s advice on social media and FAQ-driven content.
• [63:14] “Upgrade your operating system” before upgrading your hardware.
• [69:53] “Willing to do the boring work longer”: definition of the top 1% of 1%.

Flow & Tone

The episode is high-energy, candid, and practical. Both Rich and Gabe are direct, no-nonsense, and focused on sharing real strategies, not fluff. They blend hard-won experience, motivational stories, actionable advice, and even vulnerable personal moments. Their tone remains relatable, competitive, and geared toward listeners who want greater results in business and life.

For Aspiring Agents & Entrepreneurs

Essential Takeaways:

• Success in real estate is less about timing the market, more about resilience, daily activity, and authentic connections.
• Don’t over-automate: nothing replaces genuine, person-to-person sales efforts.
• Focus on becoming a high-value person: mindset, discipline, and emotional control matter more than expensive suits or cars.
• Use social platforms to educate and document, not just to “flex.”
• Consistency and willingness to do “boring” but fundamental tasks separates the top performers from dropouts.
• Choose mentors, environments, and partners that stretch you and help level up your thinking.

Connect with the Guest

• Instagram: @gabeMendez
• Text/Contact: 619-876-2265
• For New/Experienced Agents: Realty of America – fastest-growing brokerage; opportunities nationwide

Rich Somers and Gabe Mendez deliver a toolbox of proven tactics, sprinkled with honesty and humility, for anyone set on making an impact and income in real estate.