PROPERTYSPARK INTERVIEWS: Jonathan Klunk, Real Estate Agent

As Louisville’s #1 Agent on Social Media, Jonathan is pioneering the future of the Louisville Real Estate market with a revolutionary approach to property positioning, digital marketing, and technology.

  Louisville, KY

Six Degrees Real Estate

 Top Louisville Realtor |   top.louisville.agent |  gokeysource.com

What inspired you to start in real estate and how did you motivate yourself to keep going?

As the CEO of Louisville’s premium short term rental company (formerly known as Key Source Properties), I was inspired to get my real estate license to facilitate our business and serve my existing short term rental clients who were looking to sell their properties. As I continued to learn the nuances of the real estate industry, we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic which put the brakes on our thriving short term rental business and global tourism. As a result, my team and I chose to pivot our efforts over to traditional real estate and haven’t looked back.

The almost immediate success that came with our move into traditional real estate has been largely down to our unique approach to digital marketing, property position and innovative strategy, which isn’t very common in the Louisville market. This quick notoriety presented an opportunity to partner in the formation of a new local brokerage, Six Degrees Real Estate, which was an incredible opportunity for myself. When opportunities like this arise, you have to feel as though you are in the right space. It is developments such as these and my recognition as Louisville’s #1 Agent on Social Media that are shaping my vision to transform the way real estate is done in Louisville and beyond. That’s why I keep going.

Comparing your business from back then to now, what has been the main thing that allowed you to expand your business?

When you start out as an agent in a new market, you typically trust those around you and learn from the environment. Initially, I trusted that this was “the way” to do real estate and I probably relied a little too much on traditional methods. Once I began to incorporate digital marketing, technology, and advanced positioning strategies into my business, I saw a huge transformation. The results I was able to provide my clients surpassed my earlier days as an agent, and opportunities and business continued to present themselves.

What’s the most profitable aspect of your business, why do you think this is and how can others apply this to what they are doing?

Our social media marketing strategy has been the most profitable driver of our business. Our use of targeted advertising and a robust content strategy has presented us with a fruitful stream of business from buyers, sellers, and investors who are looking to work with my team and use our expert services.

Nowadays, people expect more from their real estate agent, as they should. The benchmark is being set to where agents will be expected to develop a marketing strategy, produce digital ads, and offer exposure that cannot be achieved through just listing on MLS.

The landscape is changing and it is vital for agents to hop on the digital marketing train before they are left behind. Though it may seem like a mountain to climb, incremental progress will be the key to long term success for agents who are new to this sort of thing. I would advise agents start by identifying realtors in their local market who are excellent in digital marketing and social and begin to study their methods and strategies. By becoming a student again and making incremental progress, agents can quickly learn tips and best practices to help give them a jump start in digital marketing.

When did you realize you were successful/made it and how did you feel/celebrate?

I don’t think I’ll ever “make it” because there is always progress to be made. I did realize I had a “knack” for real estate and digital marketing when buyers and sellers began to approach me because they’d “see [me] everywhere”. Equally, being named as the #1 Agent on Social Media in Louisville was a huge achievement for me and reinforced our commitment to digital marketing. How did I celebrate? Made a social media post about it, of course!

Looking back, what could you have done sooner to get to that point quicker?

Again, I think I let the traditionality of the local market dictate a lot of my earlier moves and strategies. While these certainly have value and the traditional real estate market still has its place, the development of a personal brand sooner would have accelerated my growth out of the gate.

What should other real estate entrepreneurs reading this be focusing on to expand their own business?

Not to be cliche, but content really is king. The development of a personal brand that reflects your expertise will get a long way in making you a recognizable figure in the market. Otherwise, how will people possibly know how and where you specialize?

If you’re a rockstar in selling downtown condos and have 20 under your belt, the world needs to know that! Establishing yourself as an expert in certain areas of real estate will help differentiate you from other generic agents and let buyers and sellers know why you are the person to work with. If your social media pages, website, videos, or written content don’t present you as an expert in your area of expertise, then there’s something missing.

How has social media and online marketing affected your real estate business? How much more success have you had now after implementing social media and online marketing efforts?

Social media and online marketing has been THE driving force of my real estate business. I certainly represent the newer age of real estate agents and have had a lot of success and notoriety in a short space of time. People have taken to my brand and team through the development of our online presence.

How did you build your team?

For our Brokerage, Six Degrees, our growth has been organic – driven by the recognition and accomplishments of our founding partners. We have experienced tremendous growth in the few months our doors have been open, and we are poised for explosive growth in 2021 and beyond. My personal team is growing similarly. I am currently the only Real Estate Agent, but I am surrounded by two full time admins and a full time marketer. Together, we make up a very strong team that is also poised for growth. We are currently interviewing a few soon-to-be top agents as well and look forward to welcoming them to our team and setting them up for massive success.

How did you become a good leader?

I became a good leader first by following the example of others. I have a background in technology sales with Fortune 500 companies. Through the years I’ve worked with many strong trainers and coaching staff. That is where I found the basis of my professional leadership skills. Since being a business owner and Brokerage owner I have had to dig deep to combine past knowledge, personal skills, and my personality to become a motivator and driver of personal and professional growth within my colleagues. I can be tough and direct at times, so I try to find a style that works with each individual, especially if our focus is on 1:1 coaching. However, my next move will be into the real estate education space to hep other Realtors get their name in front of their target market and increase their visibility. So I know I have a lot to learn to grow into an even stronger leader for others.

Did You Experience Failures? If So, What Did You Learn From Them?

Of course! Everyone does. And if someone says they haven’t, they are lying! Failures are where we learn and grow. I embrace them. We all strive to avoid them at all costs by doing our best, but they are inevitable. I fail at things often – big and small. I tried changing my own oil once. Failed. If I WANTED to learn how I would have kept trying and I would have succeeded. But I took my car to Valvoline instead. I can honestly say I have learned something from every failure I have experienced and applied that lesson to my life to continuously improve everything humanly possible. That is one of my values – Continuous Improvement.

What do you consider the main differences between those people who have been successful in your industry and those who have failed?

In my experience, people who fail in this industry are often the ones who don’t treat real estate like a business. We are all the CEO of our business and we must market ourselves. We are also in the relationship business. It is just as important to read and learn about communication and customer service to our clients as it is to know about the real estate market. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.

What’s Your Approach To Marketing?

My approach to marketing is to tell a story. A story about a property. A story about growing up in Louisville. People are intrigued by this and love to connect on a higher level with people and with properties. Just recently we did an Instagram post about the NCAA basketball championship and explained the similarities between basketball and real estate. The timing was great and it opened us up to a new market that we aren’t often in front of. In addition to story telling, it is important to provide value and share information. Don’t keep everything behind a paywall where people have to pay to play. Put everything you know out in the open so people wonder what you’re not sharing. You often know more and have more value than you give yourself credit for.

Final Thoughts

When you look to someone and try to emulate them remember they are where they are in life because they have put in the time. They have put in the blood, sweat, and tears. Learn from others. Model them. Do what they do. If you want it bad enough you will get it. But give it time. If you push yourself too hard, and the others around you, you might look up one day to see yourself standing alone. Don’t forget to enjoy life. It goes faster than you think.