February Letter Newsletter
I’m in a transition period for my business. I am starting to create my own mailings for people that I send real estate content to. Below you will find a letter that I recently sent out in February.
Dear
Happy New Year! I know, I’m a little late. 2016 was some year, right? Tavia and I sold our house, moved in with my parents for 5 months, built a new house, had a kid enter 2nd grade, had another enter kindergarten; had our fourth kid, Afton, all while nearly losing Tavia for the second time in four years. I’d be okay if some of those events never happened again. The Mathers family is doing pretty well all things considered, but we would love to see some of your faces more. Your actual faces and not your digital likeness on Facebook or Instagram. Come visit! We love the company.
I hope this will be one of the few times I reach out to you about business going forward, but there is something that I want to share. In October, I’ll be renewing my Real Estate License for the second time. That might not sound like a big deal but real estate has a high turnover. There are a few things that have gone my way but the biggest is the support from my wife. Without her I would have been part of that turnover. Thank you, Tavia!
Some of you will remember a letter I sent out introducing myself as a real estate agent. This second letter of introduction will be a little different than the original. Almost four years into being a real estate agent I have learned a lot. I have come to learn that I really don’t like how real estate agents do business, and thus I am in the process of overhauling how I do my own. Let me give you some background…
I received a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Utah Valley University in 2009. A year later, I started a Master’s program at the University of Utah in Wellness Coaching. A year into that program, I realized it wasn’t something I wanted to pursue: I still had an interest in the subject but the program wasn’t the right fit. At the time, I was working at a treatment center for adolescents and had no idea of what to do for a career. With some guidance, remembering that I loved houses and helping people accomplish their goals, I thought real estate would be a good fit. I had no idea what I was getting into.
October of 2013 I jumped into real estate with no experience but plenty of excitement. I had my textbook from real estate school, business cards, a company website, marketing glamour shots and hours of education under my belt all ready for your real estate needs. In Utah that’s 140 hours of coursework and then two competency and knowledge tests. Yes, there are a few things that you need to pay for, but honestly that’s about it! The bar for entry is unfortunately super-low.
I quickly learned that real estate school, while essential for real estate licensing, doesn’t actually teach you how to be a real estate agent. School gives you enough information to stay out of jail. But as a consumer that might one day use the services of a real estate agent, such a low bar should truly scare you. I was smart enough to have chosen a good brokerage and found some great people that helped me get the most out of my real estate education. Yet I still wanted to learn more about how to run my business, only I didn’t know where to find it.
I started to learn from the real estate coaches and went about implementing their strategies. I made cold calls, contacted expired listings, introduced myself to home-owners trying to sell their homes on their own. I called many of you to ask for your business. Unknowingly, had chosen an occupation that had a negative reputation. I now can understand why the general public trusts real estate agents about as much as they trust used car salesmen or politicians. I developed a suspicion that these activities weren’t really me, especially as those first steps (like cold calling) were things that kinda go against my character. Then it hit me. I hate it when people do this sort of stuff to me. This is not how I want to interact with people, nor how I want to run a business.
For over a year now, I have started to change the way I run my business. It isn’t entirely a new way but it has become my way. It boils down to this. I think I’m a pretty cool guy. I enjoy running, cooking, spending time with my family. I’m a big Blue Jays fan. I have faith in God. I sometimes struggle to find motivation to eat healthy, as healthy as you can when there is bacon, cheese fries, and pizza to consume. I geek out over office supplies. In fact, I make my own notebooks (www.mypaperbrains.com). Oh, and I just happen to help people buy and sell homes. That’s my way. Nothing more than the fact that I really enjoy making connections with people who share some interests, even making connections with people who don’t. Did I mention that I love what I do?!
This letter is a first step, and my plan is to continue to send you something of value every time. So what does this change mean for you? It means no more impersonal mailers from me in your mailbox. From now on, when you get something from me, it will be created by me personally (except the odd invitation to a brokerage event). It will be from my heart. It will be something that I think is important. It might make you laugh, maybe piss you off, and possibly make you cry. No more awkward phone calls ending with me asking for referrals. When I call, it will be a phone call to actually catch up–with no other motivation. I won’t share everything with you now but some of my plans include writing a book, starting a podcast or two, and continuing to work on my blog, www.sethmathers.com.
Let me know what you think. The only way this works is if we create a dialog. What do you think about this new way of connecting? My passion is to help people and make a difference. Along the way, I’ll make a living by helping people buy and sell houses, making notebooks, and celebrating the Beards of Utah. In the end, I hope to do this all with honor, integrity, authenticity and quite possibly with sunflower seeds in my cheek and a Dr. Pepper in my hand.
Sincerely yours,
Seth Mathers
