Michael J. Maher unveils the key to a productive and focused day: The Four Clarifying Questions. Join Michael as he delves into part of his daily morning ritual, where he asks himself four crucial questions to set the tone for success. By identifying top priorities, assessing client relationships, and pinpointing areas for improvement, Michael ensures that each day is purposeful and effective. Plus, as a special bonus for listeners, Michael shares a downloadable resource featuring these...

If we want a business that has raving fans and constant referrals, events are non-negotiable, but that’s only if you do the work after everyone goes home.   If you don’t have a follow-plan in place, all the hard work, value and momentum of the gathering goes down the drain. Many real estate professionals think they can get by on digital strategies alone, but the online stuff can’t work if we don’t invest in face-to-face interactions.   The truth is, we need to get people to an event to...

With 4 out of 5 entrepreneurs going out of business in 5 years or less, we have a sales crisis on our hands. There's a reason why so many people are dropping out of the dream and failing at sales.   It’s the way sales has been taught for decades.   The chase-and-corner-them method doesn’t work on today’s consumer. All you’ll get is clients who want to fight or flee. There’s a better and more profitable way to get business, and it’s the path of attraction and generosity.   In this...

If you were dropped in a brand new market today and had to start over and build your business, what would you do?   Considering that real estate is a hyper local business, being known and knowing people is paramount. The thought of starting over in a new market is daunting, but getting the ball rolling can be as simple as meeting up for coffee. This strategy can take you from stranger to local influencer in as little as 60 days.   How do you start connecting with the locals? How do you...

An opportunity to delight people, connect and engage with your community. An effective source of leads and referrals. A powerful way to raise money for a worthy cause.   Events are all this and so much more…   But there’s something else events can do - they can create another stream of income. If you can set up an event so good and so special it’s worth paying for, you can very easily make a profit many times over.   Why is a charity component so powerful in an event? How do you build...

Every organization has a culture, whether we’re intentional about it or not. Leaders cultivate the culture and that impacts the results we get. How people feel, speak, act and interact within our businesses is what ultimately drives our success and profitability. The problem with culture is that it’s very often just stated, not lived and even worse, without realizing it, leaders could be killing their culture with their own words. Strong cultures are built around belonging, and in our world...

Michael J. Maher has a very important announcement for you! We’ve had so many requests to do a live event and bring everyone in GenGen together.....well, Michael’s going to make that happen! Listen to this entire episode for all of the details. Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode - What’s Your SuperPower? We all have one. What’s yours? - What’s the #1 question to ask your database? It’s a question so powerful that entire books are dedicated to this. - Big...

The power of events as a business growth strategy is well-documented - they allow us to connect with people and elevate our relationships. The power of creating a vision board has also been proven - when we see ourselves in future, we get there faster.   What would happen if we hosted an event centered on vision boards? When our tribe can vision board together, it combines 2 powerful things that produce powerful results for them and our businesses.   How do we expand the power of vision...

A dialed in, successful business and life is ultimately a stack of systems, routines and rituals that serve the individual. One of our most powerful rituals is our morning routine. What we do every AM has the power to affect not just the next 24 hours, but our entire week and month.   As entrepreneurs, we can’t just wake up and get straight into the day. We need an intentional system that sets us up for success, and it has a powerful ripple effect on our businesses and even our children. ...

In today’s connection-starved world, the cold, fist-to-the-face marketing strategies that once worked are falling flat. Relationships are the key to building a thriving, blooming real estate business.   While many people don’t believe a referral-based business can rival (and even surpass) a marketing-based one, the numbers don’t lie. Agents who focus on deep connections do better consistently, and make more with less stress.   What are the simple, yet effective methods for connecting with...

You show up at your desk and you just can’t get focused or get into flow. You can’t come up with ideas. You’re forgetting things. You’re easily distracted and you’re experiencing afternoon slumps. Your usually brilliant brain just feels fried.   Sounds like you have brain fog - an ailment that troubles a lot of entrepreneurs. Now you might blame this issue on a ton of other things, but your brain fog has a lot to do with your sleep - or lack thereof.   What are some of the habits that...

Nothing kills your hosting confidence like throwing an event that ends up being a dismal failure. Sending out invites, having no one show up and not generating referrals will make you want to throw in the towel.   It’s easy to take it personally, but the problem isn’t you, it’s the events system you’re using.   How did our guest go from event stress to an event that generated 17 referrals for her, and 15 referrals for vendors? What are some of the steps she took to increase attendance? ...

In a competitive business landscape, entrepreneurs overlook the power of launch parties and grand openings. Not taking the time to make that memorable first impression is a huge missed opportunity and even a huge setback.   That’s where a grand opening event comes in.   It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase our businesses and services, connect with the local community, and imprint ourselves in people’s minds.   Is it true that it’s not too late to host a grand opening? What does it...

Events are not just gatherings. They are opportunities for meaningful conversations and connections. The key is to create events that go beyond the ordinary, offering value and engagement for attendees and sponsors alike.   By curating experiences that resonate with our audience and providing valuable insights or entertainment, we can turn our events into memorable occasions that leave a lasting impression.   How do we keep the energy high at these events, and how does hosting events help...

In the competitive realm of real estate, one of the persistent challenges agents face is the struggle to consistently prospect, and attract potential buyers through open houses.   The traditional approach to open houses often lacks innovation, making it challenging to stand out in a crowded market. Peyson Robertson did it with 190 open houses in 190 days. It sounds crazy, but his approach made it possible to prospect with success.   How do we consistently draw in a crowd like Peyson and...

Here is part 2 of our Top 10 Episodes of 2023!  This episode focuses on the top 5.  Which episode will be the number on epiosde of 2023????  Listen on and find out!   Everybody loves summer…expect your business. When the temperatures warm up, your schedule starts competing with all the summer stuff going on. This is where a morning ritual comes in. No more mayhem in the AM, now you have infinite control over the morning, the whole day and the whole summer. You even have the discipline to...

Another year, another collection of awesome, insightful, actionable conversations on referrals. 2023 taught us that the lead generation methods that were once tried and true don’t work anymore.    People don’t want cold calls, they don’t want their doors knocked. They are craving the attention, connection and generosity of people who truly care. That’s where we can come in. When it comes to maximizing your referability, there are many pieces to the puzzle, and some of our favorite guest’s...

It's no secret that there is immense value in handwritten notes. They can help create and maintain meaningful relationships, and bring more value to our businesses.   So in the month of November, we challenged ourselves to handwrite notes for 30 days for the Notevember challenge to bring more meaning to what we do.   In this noteworthy episode, I am joined by some of the notable people in the Generosity Generation. I talk to the winners of the Notevember challenge and we discuss the...

The desire to make a difference in our lives is often overshadowed by the challenges of implementing lasting change. Many of us struggle to break free from unproductive habits and adopt new, beneficial ones.   Establishing and maintaining a morning routine can be a huge stumbling block. A morning routine is a strategic way to set the tone for the entire day. It's an opportunity to prioritize self-care, personal growth, and mental well-being before the demands of the world take over.   ...

From a brand, spanking new agent in a new town to getting all her deals from referrals. That’s what Aubrey Martin was able to pull off in just 1 year. Leveraging community connections and events is a powerful lead generation mechanism, and it all began with inviting local service providers to tea.   Real estate agents are the center of referrals in their town. When we show that we have a large capacity to help, our businesses can grow into something huge and impactful.   How did Aubrey...

At the end of every year, agents dust off their business plans to hit the ground running in the new year. But a business plan doesn’t include a strategy for reaching out to and communicating with your tribe - which is just as necessary. That’s why you also need an annual appreciation plan, and it’s particularly critical in today’s market.   The barriers to cold calling have never been higher, along with the angst against Realtors. Communicating with people we already know is how we grow and...

Low inventory, high interest, commission lawsuits and affordability (or lack thereof). Real estate is getting more challenging by the day, leaving consumers and agents alike wondering: what the heck is going on with the market?   There’s a ton of uncertainty and fear right now, and if left unchecked, it leads to panic and ultimately, paralysis. Agents who combat the fear with communication, market knowledge and expert advice will win in this market. If we’re able to confidently guide people...

The pressure to secure referrals in a competitive real estate market can be overwhelming. Seeing potential referrals slip away due to ineffective strategies can get extremely frustrating.   In a competitive market where everyone is vying for success, the challenge lies in not just maintaining friendly relationships but transforming them into reliable referral relationships.   How do we build a reputation for being the go-to agent who goes the extra mile? Can we get people to recognise us...

Join host Michael J. Maher in this heartwarming episode of The Referrals Podcast as he sits down with the inspiring Tracey Gates, author of the transformative book "The Power of a Few Kind Words: Create a More Meaningful Life, One Letter at a Time." 📖✨ Tracey shares her incredible journey from a soul in need of positivity to becoming a beacon of intentional kindness. Intrigued by the idea that we all crave acknowledgment, she embarked on a life-changing mission: writing a handwritten...

Competition is fierce in the real estate world so we can't afford to be stagnant. Relying solely on existing circles might lead to missed opportunities and stunted growth.   But networking is more than just attending events; it's about meaningful one-on-one meetings.   Networking should be purposeful and strategic, but how do we get started? Where do we hold these one-to-one meetings, and how do we ensure that our networking stack remains full?   In this episode, Realtor Becky Davis...