Engel & Volkers agent Nicole Beauchamp — who goes by Nikki — claims that she’s cranky. There are many words I could use to describe Nikki but I can definitely say “cranky” wouldn’t be one of them. In reality, she’s probably one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Nikki and I met while speaking at and attending the same real estate conferences, and shortly after we connected, I was fortunate enough to have her today on SamSpeaks!
I sat down with Nikki in this episode of SamSpeaks! because she hones in on her strengths to provide her with business and she done quite well with it. While most agents claim that they only do referral business, it’s absolutely true for Nikki. And it’s been true since she started in real estate.
As a born and bred New Yorker, Nikki was the first person everyone called when they were visiting or moving to the Manhattan. She knew all the cool restaurants, the cute coffee shops, the fun shopping spots and, of course, the hot areas for real estate. But she worked in the tech world. So she sent all these buyers and renters to an agent friend.
That friend finally told Nikki to get her own real estate license, and realizing the natural transition, Nikki hasn’t looked back.
Today, Nikki is truly all about her sphere, her network and her contacts. And just like her recommendations on where people should go and what they should do, Nikki’s contacts respect and request her expertise on where they should buy and where they should live. She’s incredibly active in organizations that reflect her lifelong passions of music and the arts. And these connections have proven to be powerful drivers of her referral business.
“Imagine being in a room three or four times a year with other people who share your passion,” she said. That connection you have and that shared passion becomes the best referral engine anyone can ask for.
I’ve always been an advocate on blending your business with your passions. Why not meet people at places you frequent or during activities you enjoy participating in? For example, if you enjoy going to the dog park with your pet, why not meet and engage with other animal lovers? You’ll have something in common right from the start and it will be a very natural flow of conversation when discussing what you’re all about–create the relationship first, and then tell people your story and what you do.
Nikki emphasizes and I have to agree — “Be interested in what they do,” she suggested. “I don’t lead with, “I sell real estate.” I want to know about them. The person comes first, the profession comes out.”
Being a person, being a genuine human being, is the cornerstone of Nikki’s modis operandi. Both in everyday life and in the online world. And that can be tricky for agents, with social media an easy way to vent and be less than your professional self.
In addition to her passion projects, Nikki is a fixture at real estate conferences, particularly Inman Connect. At these events, it can be easy to get overwhelmed, overbooked and overstimulated. But Nikki is very deliberate and mindful of who she’s going to meet and plans ahead so she makes the most of every moment.
But how does she not only remember all these people she’s met and worked with but stay in touch with them? I’m not going to give it all away here, because I want you to watch the interview, but suffice to say there is a fountain pen involved.
And of course, don’t forget to subscribe to SamSpeaks!, because we have even more great interviews coming out and you don’t want to miss a single one.
Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:
0:55 How did Nicole get started in real estate?
3:15 Where does she meet all these people in her network?
5:25 What’s her approach to networking with people you know?
6:07 Where are most of her referrals coming from?
8:04 What methods she she use for maximizing her time at conferences?
9:22 How does she stay connected with the people she meets?
11:20 What’s her process to stay in front of her network?
12:43 What was her first transaction like and what has she learned since?