Ten years ago, I started Just Sell Homes. Not because it was part of some big plan, I was fired from a job and needed to pay the bills and this was the quickest way. I was actually on the cusp of taking a job somewhere else but the CEO of that company was on vacation for a few weeks and they needed him to OK the direction. It was for a brand new department I was going to lead.

If I had been let go a few weeks or months later, who knows what would have happened. I had no long-term roadmap. Just a belief I could help agents market themselves better.

It turned into a business. Then a team. Then an ecosystem that helped agents across the continent get more clients and build something they were proud of.

Now, 10 years later, I’ve gone in a direction I never thought I would have back then with Real Estate Magazine. But before I move forward, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what got me here.

I sat down to write “10 Lessons from 10 Years,” but I couldn’t stop at 10.

Some are about marketing. Some are about people. Most of them were learned the hard way. They’re not polished. They’re not “optimized.”

If you’re in real estate (or any business) and trying to build something that lasts, this is for you.

Marketing Truths

 

Attention ≠ Authority

Getting a lot of views doesn’t mean you’re building a business. I’ve had videos with six figure views and bring in zero business. I’ve also had videos with 500 videos bring in six figures in revenue. Trust with the right people is the goal, not the most amount of people. 

Clear Beats Clever

People get too cute with their ads and copy. Most of the time, clarity wins. Show people who you help, what you do, and how they can work with you. No riddles. 

Simplify the Idea

If your ad/email/post makes people think too hard, it won’t convert. Simple scales. 

Help People (without expecting a return)

Some of the biggest opportunities have come from helping someone when it didn’t make sense on paper. The 5 minutes that helped someone 5 years ago might turn into a big chunk of business today.

A Lot of People Quit Too Soon

Run one Facebook ad and didn’t get a client? Facebook ads don’t work. One run of postcards to a farm area? Farming doesn’t work. I’ve seen this trend over and over. People quit too soon. Just Sell Homes had a good first two years, year 3 was great. That’s when people saw I was sticking around. The time in the business mattered to people. Consistency and showing up over time is a powerful business tool.

Mindset Shifts

 

There’s No Silver Bullets

There’s no single tactic that fixes everything. You already know most of what you need to do, you just need to do it consistently and improve each time.

Let Things Go.

People will treat you poorly when it’s really about something in their own life. They’ll assign intent that doesn’t exist. They’ll assume the worst, then build a narrative to match. It’s not worth the effort to worry about. Just let it go and focus on you and the people that matter.

Ideas won’t work out. Things you try, you’ll fail on. People get worried about how they’re perceived because of that. I’ve tried and killed lots of things, multiple things every year since I started Just Sell Homes. 

How many of them do you remember? People forget faster than most people realize.

That being said, that fear still exists. I was excited to buy REM. I was also scared. I knew the legacy it had, the attention it would get, and what it would mean if I failed. Do things that scare you. It’s worth it.

And don’t think that just because someone looks successful online, it means everything’s amazing behind the scenes. Years ago, someone told me, “Man, you must be rolling in it.” And I remember thinking “I don’t even know how I’m going to pay my bills this month”. 

We all carry things no one sees. Stay focused on the work and don’t confuse what you see in your feed for the full story. Social media success is the ultimate house of cards.

Have Fun (Or Walk Away)

Early on, it’s hard to say no to money. But I’ve made a rule: If someone calls or names pops up in my notifications and I roll my eyes just seeing their name? They shouldn’t be a client or partner anymore. You should enjoy what you do and who you work with. There’s more than enough business to be done with people you enjoy.

Nothing is Mandatory

You don’t have to do video. You don’t have to be on social. They can absolutely help. You can also do 100+ deals a year with neither. All you need is a clear strategy, consistent execution, and a commitment to getting better over time. That’s it.

Not all Experience is Created Equal

10 years in business doesn’t mean 10 years of business experience. It could mean one year of experience repeated ten times. Learn from what you’re doing, don’t just live through it.

Execution Lessons

 

Remove the Roadblocks

Most things don’t fail because they can’t work. They fail because there’s a roadblock in the way. Identify the roadblock, decide if it’s worth clearing, if it is clear it. If it isn’t, find another route. 

Skin in the Game

If someone wants to work with you, learn from you, or collaborate but won’t put up any money, effort, or risk…they’re not serious. This applies to clients, partners, and projects. 

“That’s How it’s Always Been Done” = Red Flag

That phrase almost always hides an inefficiency. The industry is full of people clinging to habits just because they think they have to. Question the default settings. 

Don’t Just Learn from Real Estate

Only listening to people who’ve “been in the trenches” keeps you stuck in the same patterns. As someone who’s used “I’ve been a Realtor” as a differentiator, I’ll say this: it’s overrated. Some of my best ideas, the ones that helped clients the most, came from outside the industry. Great ideas are everywhere. Your job is to find them and apply them. 

I’ve built Just Sell Homes on the backs of these lessons. Now I’m applying them inside Real Estate Magazine, too. 

If I had to sum it up?

Be helpful. Be consistent. Be clear.

After 10 years, I want to say thank you:

• For my clients who’ve trusted me over the years
• For reading my newsletters, blogs, watching videos, etc..
• For coming to events (live and virtual)
• For giving me both good and tough feedback
• For still showing up

I wouldn’t be here without a lot of people. Too many to name so I won’t even try right now. But know this: I’m more excited than ever about the next 10 years in this industry.

Thanks for being part of it.

– Andrew

One extra lesson because why not? Ask for what you want. Ask people you think are “too big” to help you. Ask for partnerships, introductions, feedback, chances.  I’ve been told no way more than I’ve been told yes. Shoot your shots. Most won’t go anywhere. The ones that do might change your life.