PROPERTYSPARK INTERVIEWS: Melody Smith, Founder

Friend, an advocate and a resource to her community. 

 Laguna Hills, CA

Anvil Real Estate

 Melody Smith and Associates |   melodysmithandassociates |  melodyandassociates.com

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

I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the medical field, and after a decade with that as an occupation had become clear I wanted to do more. Real estate is an industry with no limits. The more you put in, the more you get out, and I’ve always prided myself on my work ethic, attention to detail and drive so believed it to be a perfect match.

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

In the beginning, like most agents, I went everywhere with clients, geographically, to complete sales. What changed and led to explosive growth for me and my business was the decision to shrink in order to grow. I know that sounds odd and here’s what I mean by it. Rather than work with clients in dozens of cities and multiple counties like most agents, I made a conscious decision to focus on just one city, Laguna Hills, and even within that city most of my business comes from one neighborhood, Nellie Gail Ranch. By not chasing business all over and trying to market everywhere and be an expert throughout Orange County I have been able to hone my marketing techniques, focus my marketing budget and increase my area knowledge to the point it’s fair to say that literally I know it better than anyone else out there, in the world. That’s the goal I set out to achieve; to know the market I specialize in better than any person in the entire world. And now that I have, the results in my business are showing, being the top selling agent in both units and volume in both Nellie Gail Ranch and the city of Laguna Hills for multiple years. So, I got small to get big.

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?

Focusing on one area and dominating it. Know more. Do more. Be more present. I’ve engrained myself in the DNA of Nellie Gail Ranch and Laguna Hills, the area I’ve been working in for over a decade and now dominate.

How did you build your team?

By delegating. We have one of the best coaches/trainers in the world on the payroll. We have a Captain of Culture as one of our leadership positions. I am in production so for me to try to remain working with buyers and sellers and providing a high-level service to them I would be doing a disservice to any agents at the firm. Most team leaders try to sell and be a team leader and then don’t do either effectively. I have chosen to remain selling real estate because it is what I’m good at and what I am passionate about. I have brought in the right leadership team to help our agents and give them every advantage to succeed at the highest level.

Final Thoughts

Find a mentor and find a culture that supports your success. This is an incredibly difficult career and most people don’t realize what they are getting into. Having the right people and resources around you is not only important but mandatory. We’ve built our firm with this in mind. We don’t consider ourselves a family business, but a business family. Whatever market you work in, find a spot that provides everything you want and need to succeed.