Erin Williamson | Creating the 'Wow' Factor in Real Estate
Erin Williamson is a thriving real estate consultant who works alongside her husband, Danny Williamson and business partner, Christina Loomis. Together they have closed more than 1200 property deals and have done over a billion dollars in transactions. She takes pride in her well-established business built from referrals and returning clients. Erin is currently focusing on coaching individuals who want to enter the Luxury Home Market and Realtors who want to know how to create the “WOW” factor for their clients. She is determined to transform the real estate industry one Realtor at a time!
Give us a bit of background about yourself and when/how your entrepreneur journey started?
I’ve successfully overcome many obstacles in my career and life and feel I can be of inspiration to individuals to live their lives to the fullest and to know that nothing is impossible. In 1997 when I first decided to choose real estate as my full-time career, I was told by many people that I would never succeed because I was too shy and not willing to do what it takes to become a success. Their definition of doing “what it takes” and mine were different.
To them, it meant cold calling hundreds of people and knocking on hundreds of doors each week to try and get a single listing appointment. To me, this did not define success. In my opinion, doing this would not make me an asset to potential clients; it would only make me a nuisance. I was determined to find another way to succeed in the realty industry.
You see, I do not consider myself much of a salesperson. Being successful meant having clients that raved about their experience and trusted me exclusively to represent them and their friends and family members, again and again. It is now my goal to be able to mentor and coach other Realtors into believing they too can have it all.
I currently work with my amazing team at First Team Real Estate with Christie’s International Real Estate as our luxury brand. We have been able to create some of the most incredible client relationships. We developed an amazing referral based business and we continue to create the WOW factor for our clients offering them better communication and customer service than our competitors. My team and I have closed over 1200 residential property deals and have done more than a billion dollars in transactions. We managed to do this with hundreds of 5- star reviews and the confidence to back it all up. But most of all, we have built some of the best relationships with our clients that have become friends for life. Christina and I now have the opportunity to teach others to do the same thing.
What life and business lessons have you learned on your journey so far?
One of the best lessons I have learned is that every single day is a gift. You must be grateful for what you have. I truly believe that everything happens “for you” and not “to you.” When you start perceiving life this way, your whole perspective changes. No matter how challenging life becomes, even the worst-case scenarios are life lessons. It’s not always easy to see the gift when it only feels like the world is crashing down, but it’s there.
We lost our home in a wildfire in 2017, and everything we owned was destroyed. However, we didn’t lose anything that really mattered because we were all okay. Nobody got hurt, the rest of it, well, It’s Just Stuff.
What are your core business values you adhere to?
My core values stem from the belief that everyone matters. Every single person matters, and there is a reason for them to come into my life. It’s up to me to find and appreciate the cause. I believe that every person in my life offers a gift; even when that gift is a life lesson. I also believe that you never do what is easy, you do what is right. Always, always act on behalf of your client’s best interest, not your own. Do what is right, not what is easy. It’s a straightforward philosophy that I want to share with others.
From your many achievements, what is your most significant and why?
I believe my greatest achievement is the ability to successfully juggle work, family, kids, friends while having fun doing it. It’s all perspective. I’ve been dealt some very tough hands in life, but it’s up to me how I respond to them. I can choose to be defeated, or I can choose to be happy. Perspective and a positive attitude keep me going. Happiness is a choice.
What inspires and motivates you? Basically, why do you wake up every morning, get the work done and do it all over again the next day?
I’ve always been self-motivated. There is nobody harder on myself than me. I am my own worst critic, but I know deep down that nobody is going to build my dream for me. Nobody is going to achieve my goals for me, and if I want to do it, it’s up to me to get it done. The last thing I want in life is to live with the regret of “what if?” There is no greater fear than living with regrets of not fulfilling my dreams and not living my best life while I am young and healthy enough to do it.
What has been your biggest fail to date? How did you overcome it and what did you learn?
My biggest fail to date is not realising my potential earlier in life. I was painfully shy and self-conscious from a very young age and into my late twenties. I completely lacked confidence in myself to understand that I had the ability to live my dreams from a much younger age. I watched life go by from the side-line, wishing I knew how I could participate. Self-belief is a powerful thing. Once you learn how to get out of your own way, anything is possible.
Since you have become so successful, how do you handle haters or people that don’t support you? What advice do you have for fellow female entrepreneurs?
I learned that haters are going to hate. But why? Is it that you are doing something wrong? No. It’s because they are feeling their own insecurities by watching you succeed. The easiest way for them to feel better about themselves is for to try to tear you down. The easiest way to give them power is for them to get you to stop being you. Success is the best revenge. Let the haters hate; it’s what they are good at. Love them anyway. They don’t know how to handle it, and it’s fun to watch them squirm.
What quote do you live by and why?
When I wrote my book, “It’s Just Stuff” I included many of my favourite quotes throughout the book. One of my favourite quotes is by Henry Ford: “If you think you can do a thing, or can’t do a thing, you’re right.” It’s Just Stuff isn’t a book about the fire that consumed our home, it is a book about life lessons and experiences. I hope to inspire others to be able to overcome obstacles in their own lives by understanding that it’s all just stuff. Everything is stuff; don’t let it destroy you. Use it as a weapon to make you stronger from the inside out. Let your light shine brightly on others and inspire them also to make a positive difference and help others.
What advice can you give fellow female entrepreneurs on the same journey as you who want to achieve the same success?
I am offering “Empowerment Weekends” for those who want to learn how to do what I do. I am giving them the opportunity to meet me in person, and I present workshops to show Realtors around the world how to create the “wow” experience for their clients. I am enthusiastic about sharing all of my secrets and encourage people to visit my website: www.GetClientsForLife.com to learn more. You can also download a copy of my book, It’s Just Stuff, to learn more about me and my journey. My advice is to follow your passion. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. If someone says you can’t do something, it’s because they can’t do it and they don’t want you to prove them wrong.
What is the hardest thing about entrepreneurship no one told you?
Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. Most people do not understand what I do, nor do they grasp how I do it. I wake up every day with the fear of losing everything and knowing I must make a difference every day. The thing is, entrepreneurs do what others won’t so they can live the life that others can’t. I am a living proof that you really can have it all.
You can be and do anything you set your mind to. If I can do it, anyone can do it. I had no self-confidence and was most likely to fail because of that. I am not oblivious to the fact that there will always be people better and more successful than me, but it doesn’t matter. The only person I am competing against is me. To be better than the person I was yesterday and to continue to touch others’ lives for the better. If I continue to reach that one goal, day after day, I have already won.
What can we expect from you in the next 12 months?
In the next 12 months, I would like to take my real estate coaching business to the next level. I am passionate about helping fellow Realtors nationally and internationally and showing them how to achieve their dreams. I plan to host 2-3 day events where I will teach Realtors from across the world how to live their best lives. I intend to create talk of the town client events that won’t cost a dime for individuals to break into the luxury real estate market.
I want to teach them how to step up their game and impress their clients so much that they can’t help but refer their businesses. I can show them how to “wow” their clients at every turn, raise millions of dollars for charities and create raving fans for life. A fundamental of my teachings is not to lower your standards to compete with discount brokerages, and by sticking to my core business values, get repeating customers and become a referral business forever. I want to be a game changer in the real estate field and show agents how to step up their game and have fun while living their dreams!
GET IN TOUCH WITH ERIN WILLIAMSON
ErinWRealtor@gmail.com
Facebook Erin Fritzsche Williamson
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www.GetClientsForLife.com | BRE# 01168509