North DFW Real Producers - October 2018

NORTH DFW

I N F O R M I N G

A N D

I N S P I R I N G

R E A L

E S TAT E

A G E N T S

TROY OLSON Working Hard and Working Smart

Photography by Moose N Otter Productions

Rising Star: SAKINA ISMAELBAY

Sponsor Spotlight: PHOTOGRAPHY

BY SPROSS

OCTOBER 2018

214-220-8884

2 • October 2018

www.realproducersmag.com • 3

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 06

09

10

Index of Trusted Partners

Publisher’s Note

Tips From the Top

11

12

16

Launch Party

Sponsor Spotlight - Photography

By Spross

16 21

20 22

Question Sponsorof Spotlight the MonthPhotography

By Spross

Rising Cover Star Story - Sakina - Troy Ismaelbay Olson

Rising Star Sakina Ismaelbay

FAQ

24 25

FAQ About This Magazine

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MEET THE NORTH DFW REAL PRODUCERS TEAM

Jordan Espeseth

Missy Kremer

Zach Cohen

Gary Petty

Publisher

Editor/Writer

Writer

Photographer/Writer

Andrew LoCoco

Brooke Honcharik

Zach Spross

Photographer

Photographer

Videographer

If you are interested in contributing or nominating realtors for certain stories, please email us at northdfw@realproducersmag.com DISCLAIMER: Any articles included in this publication and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of N2 Publishing but remain solely those of the author(s). The publication contains paid advertisements by local companies. These companies are not endorsed or specifically recommended by N2 Publishing or the publisher. Therefore, neither N2 Publishing nor the publisher may be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies. NOTE: When community events take place, photographers may be present to take photos for that event and they may be used in this publication.

www.realproducersmag.com • 5

PREFERRED PARTNERS

This section has been created to give you easier access when searching for a trusted real estate affiliate. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the businesses sponsoring your magazine. These local businesses are proud to partner with you and make this magazine possible. Please support these businesses and thank them for supporting the REALTOR® community!

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FOUNDATION REPAIR Digg Foundation Repair Scott Winn (214) 307-4060 diggfoundationrepair.com Perma Pier (214) 637-1444 perma-pier.com HOME INSPECTION Elite Inspection Group (469) 818-5500 eigdallas.com

MORTGAGE LENDER American Financial Network, Inc. Daniel Munoz (214) 473-5984 afncorp.com / danielmunoz The Tuttle Group Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (469) 319-0660 thetuttlegroup.com

The Inspection House (512) 686-0097 theinspectionhouse.com

PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEO PRODUCTION Photography by Spross Zach Spross (469) 307-1295 photographybyspross.com

INSURANCE DFW Insurance Services Adrienne Baker (972) 781-1115 insurewithdfw.com

ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION Recover Roofing (844) 343-7663 recoverroofing.com

TITLE COMPANY Kensington Vanguard National Title of TX (214) 529-3840 kv-lonestar.com UTILITY CONCIERGE Utility Concierge (800) 587-3160 utilityconcierge.com VIDEOGRAPHY / PHOTOGRAPHY Moose N Otter Productions (951) 233-9538 moosenotterproductions. com Petty Films Gary Petty (817) 271-1256 pettyfilms.com

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H O W D O Y O U S AY

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(972) 781-1115 | www.insurewithdfw.com | abaker@insurewithdfw.com www.realproducersmag.com • 7

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publisher’s note

The Real Producers

MOVEMENT is Building

We are so pleased to bring you the 3rd issue of North DFW Real Producers! Since the launch of our first issue, we have had so many agents, brokers, and business owners sharing with us their absolute excitement around Real Producers. I continually hear things like, “Whatever I can do to help, let me know!” or “This fills such a needed void in our real estate community!” and “I can’t believe this didn’t launch in our market years ago.”

Personally, hearing these sentiments fills my heart with so much happiness and gratitude. On February 6th, 2018, my 28th birthday, I left my home state of Minnesota, my friends, my family, and everything I knew behind, and traveled 1,034 miles to Frisco, Texas to start this journey of launching North DFW Real Producers. I didn’t know a single person. All I had was a vision, a burning desire, and the support of 60 other Real Producers Publishers nationwide. I won’t get into it here and now; maybe I will in future Publisher’s Notes, but just know having this all come together like it has, means the world to me. And, I have all of you to thank for that.

There is a movement starting with Real Producers, and its impact is deep. Five hundred out of 30,000 licensed real estate agents in North DFW produce 80% of the volume. You guys are different; you are true entrepreneurs who take risks when others won’t, who feverishly continue to learn and grow when others settle, who often times are working when others are sleeping, and I would be willing to bet the majority of you have a lot riding on your success in this crazy career.

Sakina Ismaelbay, this issue’s Rising Star, left me an energetic voicemail the other day that went something like this: “Jordan, I just met up with Denton Aguam. I am just amazed at the person he is – I am blown away!

He is so inspiring, kind, and incredibly helpful!

Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that, because this is exactly what your magazine is all about.”

If we allow ourselves to be open to learning from others who are crushing it, and to give to others the knowledge we have learned in our careers and life, together we can grow bigger, faster, more efficiently, and possibly most importantly, we can help ourselves and others live out our wildest dreams.

Please put in your calendar RIGHT NOW the date and location of our first ever LAUNCH PARTY! Bring your teams and other real estate agent friends, and let’s have a blast!

Date/Time: November 13, 5 – 7pm Location: Concrete Cowboy at The Star I look forward to seeing you all there!

Jordan Espeseth Publisher North DFW Real Producers jordan.espeseth@realproducersmag.com

www.realproducersmag.com • 9

tips from the top

What tip have you learned that has made the greatest impact in your real estate business?

Denton Aguam, Keller Williams “Time is the most valuable resource you have, and everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. How you spend your time, and who you spend it with, all determine the trajectory of your career.”

Colleen Frost, Colleen Frost Realtors “Stop selling, and be a resource for all.

Whether they are a client, customer, or just someone needing a contact referral, always be the person that everyone knows to be the primary resource for whatever their need may be.”

Matt Brown, Coldwell Banker APEX “In this industry, doing the things that no one is willing to do will get you to where you want to be faster. Success in business will do one of two things: it will make you hungrier or make you content. If you are content, you are putting yourself in a situation to be average. Shoot for perfection, and settle for excellence.”

Penny Meyer, Keller Williams “Always be a great listener. When you listen to your clients, it helps you better understand their needs, and can help you to better “frame” how to help them realize their goals.

Sometimes they are still trying to understand their goals and what they really want.”

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Elite Inspection Group, LLC 469-818-5500 www.eigdallas.com Trec 020504 TPCL 0758226

10 • October 2018

Garrett Hand

REAL PRODUCERS

LAUNCH PARTY! We have officially set the date and location of the North DFW Real Producers Launch Party!

This event is going to be an absolute blast. We are going to have the best real estate professionals in our market at this event, and you will not want to miss it!

Put the event details in your calendar right now, and clear your schedule for this event. No, I mean it. Stop, and do it now...seriously. I’ll wait. Did you do it? Okay, great!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Date/Time: November 13, 5-7pm Where: Concrete Cowboy at The Star Details: More to come – However, you can expect free food, drinks (of course), and a whole lot of amazing real estate agents keeping it classy!

NORTH DFW

I N F O R M I N G

A N D

I N S P I R I N G

R E A L

E S TAT E

A G E N T S

www.realproducersmag.com • 11

sponsor spotlight

Photography By Spross FR O M

Z E R O

TO

ZI LLOW

Written by Missy Kremer

Zach Spross, owner of Photography by Spross, describes himself as meticulous, artistic, involved, and a perfectionist. This is shown in his craft, and business skills, as this self-taught photographer went from having very little background knowledge on photography, to using his talents to help hundreds of real estate agents thrive in their sales in a short amount of time.

Getting There Photography by Spross is essentially a one-stop marketing shop for real estate agents. While Zach dabbled in post-secondary endeavors, and once had visions of being an architect, he landed 12 • October 2018

in real estate, passing his real estate test. But, his passion wasn’t there. He found himself absorbed by the more artistic facets of real estate: the pictures of the homes and the vision behind getting quality photos. So, Zach made it his mission to learn the insand-outs of photography, staging, editing, and drone imagery.

Zach Spross

And, this is exactly why Photography by Spross continually reaches its zenith. “I want to show you the quality of my work, to increase the quality for you, which in turn increases the quality for your customers.” Besides taking imagery of houses, Zach summarizes what he does as “a complete marketing package for real estate agents.” This means he also takes agent headshots, manages listings on social media, and updates property websites.

For six months, Zach developed his business by going to open houses. “I dressed up, shook hands, and showed examples of my work,” reflected Spross. Face-to-face was the only method that worked. With technology, Zach initially thought emailing, texting, and even making phone calls would help boost his business.

But, in the hustle and bustle of real estate, meeting agents in person made the difference. And Spross wasn’t afraid to grind.

A Step Ahead

Growing up in McKinney, Zach graduated from Plano East High School, and spent some time at Collin College. That’s where he became more interested in real estate. From there, he positioned himself to be different. “I looked at what was offered in the market and wanted to be better,” says Spross.

Spending five years working at Nordstrom’s in the shoe department, as well as Whole Foods and a few other retailers, Zach learned the importance of quality service for whatever industry he would encounter in his future. He channels this message into his current business model: “Focus on quality of service, and you’ll be at the top.”

Zach Spross is the only Zillow-Certified photographer in the DFW area. This puts him a step ahead of all others in the field with his special access to Zillow. While most agents either hire a photographer who sends images to them, or uploads them directly to the MLS site, Zach is able to put his high-quality photos directly on Zillow, versus Zillow pulling them from the MLS, which can distort the quality.

This also means Spross can track hits and communicate this information to agents, so they can see on a daily basis how many pupils are accessing their listings. Video walk-throughs of homes are boosted via Zillow, and with Spross’ attention to detail and quality video imaging, paired with his direct access to Zillow, listings Zach is working on are more avidly seen.

Spross chuckles at some of the theories real estate agents have, like using their iPhone to take pictures of a 300 thousand dol-

www.realproducersmag.com • 13

“

You do it for the 85 thousand dollar house, and you do it for the 85 million dollar house. And that’s your brand, and that’s important.

”

lar home and expecting it to sell quickly. “They’re taking 3%, or whatever portion it is of the sale, but they’re not willing to take adequate photos.” He goes on to lament how agents want to protect their brand, but they’re not always making the best business decisions to promote it. “You don’t want to take on too many hats,” says Zach about real estate agents. Their focus should be on selling the home and making the customer happy. Zach spends up to 5 hours at each home, working on angles, lighting, and making the pinnacle environment for each photo. Point blank, Zach wants them to take over the real estate side, while he’ll manage the marketing.

“You do it for the 85 thousand dollar house, and you do it for the 85 million dollar house. And that’s your brand, and that’s important,” says Zach about utilizing his services. In fact, Zach argues that it is the 500 square foot homes that almost need him more.

His attention to detail, and the quality time he spends on each home, really elevates the sale.

The Business Working with Photography by Spross is simple. In the busyness associated with the real estate game, agents like convenience. At his website, photographybyspross.com, all it takes is a few simple details and clicks. At the top of his site, accessing the “Book Now” Client Portal allows agents to put in basic information 14 • October 2018

about their property. From there, they can choose the day/time they would prefer the job completed, as well as package options.

Finally, there is a preparation sheet agents can use for each listing. Zach says this is a feature that agents appreciate, because instead of making the homeowner feel insecure about their interior design or decorating choices, the directive is coming from the photographer, not the agent.

Looking ahead, Spross has growth and expansion on his mind but currently has one other employee, Jocelyne. Ultimately, Zach and Jocelyne want to enhance the business of agents in a creative and professional way. Spross exclaims, “I want realtor’s feedback; I’m here to learn and improve!” When asked about their ultimate goal, Zach says this: “I’ve been thinking about it lately, and my service is the agent’s service.”

When Zach isn’t plugging away, he enjoys engaging in outdoor activities, like riding his adored One Wheel. This Nordstrom shoe employee turned photographer jokes you may also find him counting his over 100 pairs of shoes, 50 suits, and 30 blazers. At the end of the day, “My whole life is completely different. The way I look at things, the things I’m interested in…it has been a growing experience, for sure, at a personal level. This is not only my livelihood, but my biggest interest.”

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This information is intended to assist Real Estate Brokers, Agents, and other Industry Professionals, and is not an advertisement for consumer credit as defined in 12 CFR 1026.2(a)(2). This information is not intended for consumers and may not be duplicated or disseminated to the public.

www.realproducersmag.com • 15

LABOR PAINS NO MATCH FOR “CRAZY” RISING STAR 16 • October 2018

rising star Written by Gary Petty Photography by Petty Films

When labor pains hit Fathom Realty agent Sakina Ismaelbay two years ago, she did what every first-time mother would do -- grab the suitcase, call her doctor, and write a real estate contract.

A model of commitment, she suspects other agents would view her diligence as a cautionary tale. “Don’t be crazy like Sakina,” she jokes.

Sakina exudes a decisiveness, self-confidence, and intelligence which have been molded through a lifetime of multicultural experiences. She grew up in Madagascar, an island nation well-known for lemurs, which lies just east of Africa’s Mozambique. Having also lived in France for ten years, she earned a master’s degree in human resources and speaks five Languages: French, Gujrati, Hindi, English, and German. She learned German while living ten minutes from the border in Strasbourg, France. German taxes were lower, so she would buy her groceries there. “And, at that time, I was a broke student. So each euro mattered,” she says.

Sakina cites her work ethic as the key to her success. “I have always worked. I worked starting at 16 [at an auto shop], but I always worked as if the business was my own,” she says. Her parents still operate their own business importing and selling kitchen and tableware, “and I started working for my dad when I was ten… or even before that,” Sakina says, laughing. “I had to earn my pocket money. But that gave me my values, which I feel like not everybody has. That’s the problem. Everybody asks me, ‘What’s the secret?’ The secret is I work hard and treat real estate as a priority, not a hobby.”

Additionally, Sakina knows real estate contracts very well, having also worked as a paralegal.

After meeting her future husband, a Costco marketer, online, in 2012, Sakina moved a year later to the United States. Her fiancé was already flipping properties with another agent when she arrived. When he suggested Sakina get her real estate license, “rather than be bored at home,” Sakina, always up for a challenge, responded, “I can do that.”

The statement has proven prophetic. The fourth-year agent has accomplished an individual production level which is truly deserving of Rising www.realproducersmag.com • 17

Star accolades. In 2015, her first year, Sakina closed 25 transactions and earned Rookie of the Year honors.

The next year, her 42 closings propelled her to Fathom’s Number One Producer ranking in Texas and second in the U.S. The top national producer exceeded her sales volume by only $75,000.

Making this accomplishment even more impressive, Sakina was pregnant. “Before contractions, I [was] driving with a throw-up container,” Sakina recalls. “Because I would be like, ‘Oh, gosh! It’s coming.’ It was a very tough pregnancy.” Fortunately, she hired an agent to show homes that year. “I sold that to my clients, too. I’m a very good negotiator. I told them, ‘She [the other agent] will show you pretty homes, and I’ll get you that pretty home -- from my home,’” Sakina recalls. She closed 45 sides in 2017, without an assistant.

“At first, I hustled,” Sakina states, flatly. “I did a lot of open houses, because I didn’t have any network. It’s easier when you know people. But what do you do when you don’t know people, and you don’t speak very,” she pauses, smiling, “well... English?

I was harassing all the top agents, trying to get open houses. I would meet with them and try to understand how they did their business. And most of the time, it was referrals. I started doing open houses that led to referrals.”

Her first prospect discovered, to his surprise, that she was only three months into her real estate career. “I would never have guessed,” the new client told her, “because you were very professional.” Sakina asked him why he worked with her, and he said, “Because you picked up your phone.”

Embracing what worked, she initially differentiated herself in the marketplace as “The Realtor Who Picks Up The Phone”-- until someone tested her slogan by calling at 3:00 a.m. Sakina subsequently downplays that aspect of her service commitment. Her current tagline is “More Service Than You’re Used To.” Sakina remembers that her English skills were more written than conversational when she arrived in the U.S., but what she knew was mostly British English. “It’s just like you taking a French class at school. That was the level of English I had.” She faced an additional challenge, however. “Then I discovered American English.

And then there’s something called Texan English, which is completely different. Like, ‘Ya’ll’… I used to have a lot of headaches.”

18 • October 2018

Her husband coached her with helpful responses, like “Scuse me? Pardon me? Can you repeat?”

She doesn’t use coaching, scripts, or marketing resources like inexpensive giveaways, because “It’s too cheesy, even for a French like me,” she jokes. And Sakina no longer uses a client relationship management system, preferring an Excel spreadsheet to focus on only 150 relationships. Then she learns everything she can about those relationships, including “birthdays, kids’ birthdays, dogs, dogs’ birthdays, everything,” she says, only half-joking.

This year Sakina is striving for more of a work-life balance after missing portions of her son’s first year, while still making sure she is on target to achieve her annual goal.

When reasonable, calls received late at night are returned in the morning. If necessary, though, Sakina would negotiate a contract during labor again. After all, she’s a “crazy,” committed Rising Star.

WITH US, YOUR HOME IS COVERED.

JUSTIN WHITSETT 214-529-0913 justinw@recoverroofing.com

RECOVERROOFING.COM www.realproducersmag.com • 19

For upcoming events, and more information, check us out at:

www.masterminddfw.com

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND: Mastermind DFW is an exclusive event for the Top 1% of Producers in the DFW area. When you attend a Mastermind DFW event, you are in the company of a prestigious group of local, high-performing DFW real estate professionals. This is the place to cultivate your network with the most notable names in DFW real estate.

“Keeping a strong foundation while pivoting for the future is the chess game we play today. So, it’s rare to be in a room with great business owners with big vision and focus. An opportunity to share ideas and build long lasting relationships is a must in today’s fast moving world.”

- Denton Aguam, Keller Williams “Todd and I love to be a part of the Mastermind DFW group. It is an honor to be in the presence of other top producing agents and to get great tips and tricks on how to leverage our business. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this exclusive group.”

- Colleen Frost, Colleen Frost Realtors 20 • October 2018

question of the month

“If real estate was not your career, what would you be doing?”

NICK GOOD KELLER WILLIAMS

PRAKASH MATHEW JP & ASSOCIATES REALTORS

“If I weren’t in real estate, I would be running and owning a franchised concept business (pizza franchise, fast food franchise, etc.). The reason being is that franchised businesses have a blueprint of success already built out to follow.”

“If I was not selling real estate, I would open my own Bar-B-Que catering company. I love smoking and grilling meat: briskets, ribs, chicken, and steaks. Love making the sides. Also, beans, potato salad, and all.”

GINGER WEEKS REMAX

LISA BIRDSONG COLDWELL BANKER

“I can’t think of a career I would rather be in than real estate and working with clients to find their happy place. Finding that special home that meets the needs of my clients is the most rewarding, and I absolutely love what I am blessed to do. Once you find the thing you are gifted to do, it never seems like a job, but rather a great reward every single day.”

“My entrepreneurial spirit would drive me to do what I already do every day - find a way to serve and be of value to those around me. The world is full of opportunities for growth and service.”

BRUCE RAYBURN EBBY HALLIDAY

“If I was not an active realtor, I would be flipping homes or selling real estate in a beach setting.

I love the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, and real estate allows me to accomplish that.”

NINA BHANOT REMAX

“I would like to think traveling the world. However, I would probably be doing strategy consulting, which I did prior to real estate for 9 years.

I loved the client interaction and the travel to interesting places.”

www.realproducersmag.com • 21

cover story Written By Zach Cohen

Olson Troy

WORKING HARD AND WORKING SMART

With 14 years in the real estate business, Troy Olson has solidified himself as a reliable, client-focused agent at the top of his game. “We are in the real estate industry, but we are in the business of communication,” Troy explains. He understands tending to customer needs and solid communication are the backbones of a successful business, even instituting a 90-minute response time promise to his clients. Troy disregards the old saying, “Work smart not hard,” in favor of his own twist on the phrase: “Work smart and hard.”

22 • October 2018

www.realproducersmag.com • 23

Troy began his real estate career in 2004; prior to working in real estate, he worked in business sales in the telecom industry. For a decade, Troy worked real estate in parallel with his telecom career.

Eventually, he cut the cord on corporate America, and he couldn’t be more content with his decision.

“No One Will Outwork Me” Troy grew up outside a small town of 400 people in West Central Wisconsin. He attributes his work ethic and values to his parents, Paul & Judy Olson. His family owns a large organic dairy and chicken farm. Today, his parents still run an all-organic operation that includes 10,000 chickens, and 250 dairy cows, spread over 1,000 acres. “That’s where I developed my work ethic,” Troy explains. “I’ve always had the hustle. I’ve always had the work ethic. I simply incorporated that into the real estate industry.

Alongside the work ethic that he was raised with, Troy credits his real estate success to the structure he’s created around his business.

“Have a business plan, structure, and goals,” Troy explains. “Find a mentor and shadow them. A lot of [finding success] is mental.”

Troy’s coach, Shon Kokoszka, has helped him overcome hurdles and attain his best year ever in 2017. “I felt like I connected with Shon; I liked his style. I liked his demeanor,” Troy recalls. Shon, who is the President and Founder of Icon Coaching, has now coached Troy for over a year. “I came out of [the workshop] with a very clear mindset of thinking bigger, thinking smarter, and learning to delegate.” Working with Shon, Troy improved his knowledge, skills, mindset, and habits. Troy was not only able to increase his production, he implemented the models, systems, technology, and people required to build a rock solid business.

Currently, Troy has four employees on his team. Julie Barthalt is a buyer’s agent. She joined Troy in July of 2014 as a licensed assistant, and quickly developed into his lead buyer’s agent, and closed 40 transactions in 2017. She continues to develop as an agent and is getting more involved in podcasts and Troy’s media presence. Karlee Cleary joined Troy’s team in May of 2017 as his marketing manager, and after 9 months, transitioned into 24 • October 2018

production; she is now a co-listing agent and buyer’s agent. Tanna Beach joined Troy’s Team in August of 2016 after being the office manager at the Century 21Judge Fite Frisco Office. Kayla Harkrider joined Troy’s Team in May of 2018 and is the Lead Transaction Coordinator.

Vision into the Future Going forward, Troy has a clear set of goals for personal and team growth. He plans to grow his team to 12 members. Personally, Troy’s long-term goal is to be a real estate coach by 2022 and a public speaker by 2025. He sees his role as a mentor and leader continuing to expand.

Right now, Troy has his sights set on steadying his business and hitting $100 million in annual team sales. “[The biggest challenge is] being patient with the roller coaster that we ride. Some days, weeks, and months are incredibly stressful; some months are slow. We are trying to get the production to a level where it’s not such a roller coaster and stays more consistent.”

Troy Olson is the definition of a hard worker by putting his clients first and understanding his availability is his key to success.

Outside of work, he enjoys sports, country music, and going away to his parents’ farm in Wisconsin. Yet, deep down, his work is his life. “I don’t know what [work life balance] means.”

Troy is a consistent multi-year award-winning top producer at CENTURY 21 Judge Fite, including becoming the company’s first ever Grand CENTURION award winner in the 81-year history of the brokerage firm. In 2017, The Troy Olson Team closed $55.5 million in sales volume. CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company currently has 850 agents, across 25 offices in DFW, and sold $1,649,490,213 in sales volume in 2017.

FAQ About This Magazine

About This Magazine We realize that Real Producers is a new concept here in North DFW, and some of you may be wondering what it is all about. That is why we have created a “FAQs About This Magazine” page. Here we will answer the most commonly asked questions around the country regarding our program. My door is always open to discuss anything regarding this community – this publication is 100 percent designed to be your voice!

Q: WHO RECEIVES THIS MAGAZINE?

A: The top 500 agents in North Dallas/ Fort Worth. We pulled the MLS numbers (by volume) from June 2017–May 2018 in the North DFW area: Collin County, Denton County, Rockwall County along with a few other locations in Dallas County that are North of I-635. We cut the list off at #500, and the distribution was born. For this year’s list, the minimum production level for our group is $8.3 million. The list will reset at the end of 2018 for next year and continue to update annually.

Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BEING FEATURED IN THIS MAGAZINE?

A: It’s really simple – every feature you see has first been nominated. You can nominate other realtors, affiliates, brokers, owners, or even yourself! Office leaders can also nominate realtors.

We will consider anyone brought to our attention, because we don’t know everyone’s story, so we need your help to learn about them. A nomination currently looks like this: you email us at northdfw@ realproducersmag.com with the subject line, “Nomination: (Name of Nominee).”

Please explain why you are nominating them to be featured. It could be they have an amazing story that needs to be told – perhaps they overcame extreme obstacles, they are an exceptional leader, have the best customer service, or they give back to the community in a big way, etc. The next step is an interview with us to ensure it’s a good fit. If it all works out, then we put the wheels in motion for our writer to conduct an interview to write the article and for our photographers to schedule a photo shoot.

Q: WHO ARE THE PREFERRED PARTNERS?

A: Anyone listed as a “preferred partner” in the front of the magazine is a part of this community. They will have an ad in every issue of the magazine, attend our quarterly events, and be a part of our online community. We don’t just find these businesses off the street, nor do we work with all businesses that approach us. One or many of you have recommended every single preferred partner you see in this publication. We won’t even meet with a business that has not been vetted by one of you and “stamped for approval,” in a sense. Our goal is to create a powerhouse network, not only for the best realtors in the area, but the best affiliates, as well, so we can grow stronger together.

Q: HOW CAN I RECOMMEND A PREFERRED PARTNER?

A: If you know and want to recommend a local business that works with top realtors, please email us at to let us know at: northdfw@realproducersmag.com.

Q: WHAT DOES IT COST A REALTOR/ TEAM TO BE FEATURED?

A: Zero, zilch, zippo, nada, nil. It costs nothing, my friends, so nominate away!

We are not a pay-to-play model. We share real stories of real producers.

www.realproducersmag.com • 25

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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