On June 9, Agent First Group was delighted to welcome Daryl Wizinsky to our Agent First Summit! Daryl is a fantastic team leader with agents all across the country who has helped hundreds of home buyers and sellers (especially divorce clients) achieve their real estate goals. He has teams in Michigan, Chicago, Delaware, Florida, and California and specializes in divorce leads for real estate agents.
With a background in the special forces, Daryl has developed a detail-oriented and black-and-white vision of how to make Real Estate Work. Though he has expanded his reach into owning many other businesses, Daryl’s passion is in real estate. One of his specialties is working with divorce real estate clients in real estate.
Daryl was our featured presenter at the Agent First Summit where he shared how to dominate the “divorce niche” as a real estate agent. Below is some of his wisdom on finding and working with divorce leads in real estate:
How to Find Divorce Client Leads in Real Estate
There are several places to find divorce client leads in real estate.
1. Support Groups
You may find divorced people in all kinds of support groups–where people are broken, where they’re struggling with mental illness, where they’re seeking therapy, where people don’t know what they need, you’ll find those who are divorced.
When you approach people in support groups, don’t just start out telling them you’re a real estate agent. They don’t care, they need support and a HUMAN to connect with, NOT a REALTOR®! Let them know you genuinely care about their situation and want to help them. In other words, be a person first.
2. Lawyers
Build relationships with lawyers so they know you’re a trustworthy agent. Lawyers spend a lot of time with divorce clients and their clients will likely trust them to make recommendations.
Engage with lawyers when you can and let them know you’re open to helping clients with their real estate needs. The most important thing here is to provide value to the lawyer through their clients. Be a true professional and provide value by knowing the divorce process (you are NOT practicing law, you just need to be knowledgeable). If you know more, you can better relate to those going through this very painful process and help them connect with you and their lawyers.
3. Social Groups
Check out wine groups and other places where newly divorced people might hang out. Divorce can start a wave–sometimes when one couple divorces, others are encouraged to escape a difficult relationship as well.
Go into these social groups, especially on social media, and engage with people who are looking for answers and support. If you provide them with some detailed feedback, they’ll be inclined to listen to you.
Understanding Where Your Divorce Clients Are
To get started, you have to understand the clients’ Discovery Stage. Most people will start out this stage by taking a vacation. They might be trying to fix their relationship.
If someone comes to you, mentioning they’re thinking about a divorce, ask them if they’ve been on vacation recently. This is a good indication that they’re about ready to move on.
These people are at the top of the funnel–they’re looking for answers but aren’t sure what they’re going to do next. At this stage, just be there for them and answer any questions that you can.
Mid-funnel is where people are genuinely asking questions–they’re getting a lawyer, they’re wondering how to buy a home without a spouse knowing, they’re wondering about their future. Then, you can start asking them “if” questions. Ask things like, “If I get you this apartment, will you divorce?” “If you get a divorce, will you definitely want a new home?” etc.
The bottom of the funnel is people who are ready and done. They want to hire you as soon as possible. They’re seeking to hire lawyers and real estate agents and get out of the situation.
Answering Nuanced Questions
During the discovery stage, the most important questions on people’s minds are things like:
- What happens to me after a divorce?
- Do I get to keep my home?
- Who keeps the home?
- Do I have to sell my home?
- How much will I get?
- What’s going to happen to my children?
- Am I going to have to rent?
These questions are what people are going to Google. If you provide them answers, on social groups or on blog posts, people are going to start looking at your profile to see what you do.
This is where it’s important to keep social media in mind–your Facebook page should exemplify how you help clients. People should be able to jump on your profile and see that you have changed lives and helped people through your work, not just sold a bunch of homes.
If you provide the answers and the good impression people are looking for, they’ll come to you when they’re ready for a real estate agent to help them through their divorce.
Dealing With Irrational People
Divorce is hard. Besides dealing with death, it is one of the most challenging things that a person will go through. Not everyone who goes through a divorce will act rationally (it’s rare that anyone does).
As a real estate agent, it’s essential that you keep your integrity. Look out for the interests of both parties, even when one is trying to screw the other over. Communicate with both parties and with each lawyer and real estate agent they’re working with.
No matter what these people are suffering, you mustn’t let their emotions decide your actions. Keep a clear head and do everything you can to maintain amicable relations with everyone involved.
Your part as an agent is more than just helping people buy homes. It’s also about supporting people, encouraging them to consider the future. Should they get a new mortgage? Do they need to send their kids to camp for the summer? Should they start therapy?
Make sure you’re there for the clients no matter what they need.
Doing Your Best
Understand that working with divorce clients won’t be easy. With all the lawyers and emotions involved, it’s going to be difficult for everyone. Have patience and show grace to all.
Educate yourself about the laws surrounding divorce cases. Make sure you know the answers to questions people are going to ask so you can help them when they come to you. Don’t get caught up in what you already know, but focus on what further information they need.
Form relationships with the attorneys on the case. It will be important to know what’s going on in the divorce process. It’s also helpful to have an attorney who can answer any legal questions that might come up. Build a relationship with someone you trust.
We are so thankful that Daryl came to share his expertise with us! His advice will be so valuable as we go out to seek and support divorce real estate clients. If you’d like to see more of how he works, check out his website.
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