Vincent Hampton, Florida’s leading real estate agent shares his journey of how he became a top-notch real estate entrepreneur.
Vincent Hampton believes that buying and selling homes isn’t just a transaction, but a life-changing experience. Vincent has gained many years of experience in the real estate market in Gainesville, Florida and is an expert in sales and customer service. Him and his team provide their clients excellent and personalized service to help them achieve their real estate goals. To learn more about Vincent’s success story as a real estate entrepreneur, check out his interview with PropertySpark!
When did you start your career in real estate?
I have been a licensed real estate agent for 4.5 years.
Please in a few sentences brag about yourself, if you really had to impress someone about what you do, what would you say?
I am a very proud husband to an incredible wife and father of the world’s best kids. My family is my pride and joy and what drives me everyday. In relation to business, I would say I am most proud of the network I have been able to build in a relatively short period of time. My real estate postings average a viewership of over 10,000 people a week and this includes prospects and other agents.
What inspired you to start in real estate and how did you motivate yourself to keep going?
I had an interest in entrepreneurship and marketing from a very young age. I use to sell anything from candy to trading cards out of my middle school locker. Once I entered the job force I did marketing for a couple of businesses but always seemed to hit that invisible ceiling. My sister actually started dating a guy (they are now married) who sold real estate and once we became good friends and got to know each other, he encourage me to look into selling as well. I instantly fell in love with the idea of having a career in which I had control over my brand, absolutely no ceiling and could help people while making a nice income.
Comparing your business from back then to now, what has been the main thing that allowed you to expand your business?
I would say networking, hands down, more specifically social networking. I have always seemed to know a lot of people and when I learned how to implement social media into my businesses, it proved to be instrumental in securing those existing connections as well as making new ones.
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?
I think listings have really developed into the most profitable aspect of my business. Though I invest a good amount of money into marketing them, if done right, the opportunities can compound with buyer leads as well as generating business from other potential home sellers. I honestly think my willingness and commitment to re-investing in my clients makes it an easier choice for potential customers and therefor I have to spend less to acquire them in the long run. I have high end photography equipment that includes a drone, 360 camera, wide angle lens and lots of light enhancing supplies. In addition, I have spent thousands on social media and on marketing my client’s property which has allowed me and my brand to reach millions of people.
How do you work? (Do you wake up early, work late, communicate, what jobs do you do yourself, who do you talk to, etc.)
I am certainly a night owl. Most of my business growth comes at night. I wake up every morning at 6:15 am to take the kids to school. Once I am finished with my fatherly duties, generally my phone is ringing, getting a text or email every 5 minutes, which makes it difficult to focus and explore my creative side. At night, once my family goes to sleep, I turn music on and am able to focus and get into my creative groove.
When did you realize you were successful/made it and how did you feel/celebrate?
I actually don’t consider myself successful yet. I may go as far as saying I am successful for my age. I am a younger agent at the most prestigious real estate firm in my area, with agents that have more years of real estate experience than I have years alive. I don’t really look at Real Estate by the numbers, I tend to look at it by the impact you can and will make. There are agents in my office that have helped thousands of people and seeing them everyday really keeps me humble and focused on the right things.
Looking back, what could you of done sooner to of got to that point quicker?
Honestly there isn’t too much I could have done sooner. A career in real estate is a marathon, not a sprint, and I think it takes time and experience to really learn how to be successful. The people who jump in and try to do too much too soon tend to be the agents that drop out of the business quickly. When I first entered the real estate world, I focused on learning how to create positive customer experiences before I really plunged into marketing my services. Being new, it was difficult to create content that communicated I was the best one to sell your house before I actually had a network. Now that I have built one of the largest real estate customer networks in my area, I am confident and excited to show customers why I am one of the best agents to list or purchase your home with.
What should other real estate entrepreneurs reading this be focusing on to expand their own business?
Instead of focusing on making sales, focus on building your network. I have known agents who really focus on numbers rather than the people. The moment you focus on making sales you tend to lose sight of your clients best interest. I have talked clients out of purchasing before because I realized it wasn’t in their best interest at the time. Those are the same clients that have come back, sometimes years later because they are confident I am truly working for them and not a commission.
What do you consider the main differences between those people who have been successful in your industry and those who have failed?
In my eyes the differences would be the amount of commitment and investment a successful broker makes vs. an unsuccessful one. The agents at the top are putting the most time and money into growth. I have found that in business and success when people are looking in from the outside, the majority only really notice the income and not the sacrifices and investments that it took to get to and maintain that level of success.
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 has been instrumental in building and maintaining my business network. It has allowed me to stay in touch with hundreds of potential clients at the click of a button. I think this is the best time ever to sell real estate because of the vast amount of resources and platforms out there that allow us to connect with each other.
We hope you’ve learnt a great deal about becoming a successful real estate agent. Make sure to reach out to Vincent Hampton for a phenomenal and a one of a kind experience in buying or selling real estate!
Check out Vincent Hampton’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/VincentHamptonRealtor/
Check out Vincent Hampton’s Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/gatorhomes/
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