“Mauricio, you’re a scumbag,” Umansky recalled the “Family” actor yelling in a voice message. The agency’s CEO shared how he transitioned Grammer during Inman Connect Miami on Wednesday.
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One day, Mauricio Umansky was playing golf when he received a call from an unknown number. Umansky, founder and CEO of The Agency, didn’t answer the call, but when he checked his voicemail, he was surprised to find three minutes of actor Kelsey Grammer yelling at him.
“Mauricio, you’re a scumbag,” Umansky recalled the actor saying. “You are an absolute loser.”
Grammer was upset that Umansky was involved in the collapse of his residential deal. But Umansky wasn’t upset, telling the story Wednesday on stage at the Inman Connection in Miami that he realized he now had the actor’s phone number for the first time. So he called Grammer back and quickly arranged a meeting.
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During the meeting, Grammer and his wife yelled at Umansky about how much they hated the house and no longer wanted it. But when they were done, Umansky noted that if the couple didn’t want the house, he could sell it for them. Suddenly, things changed.
“I walked out of that room with a list,” Umansky said. “I sold his house in Beverly Park in 30 days and ended up with a new client.”
Hosts Brad Inman, left, and Mauricio Umansky at Inman Connect in Miami on Wednesday. Photo credit: AJ Canaria
Umansky recounts the experience while offering advice for real estate professionals who may want to improve their businesses. Beyond that, he believes agents always need to look forward to the next sale – something that some find hard to do.
“[Agents] You get a nice big deal done and all of a sudden you don’t see them for two weeks,” Umansky said. “I asked them, ‘Where did you go?’ They said, ‘I went to Cabo.
Umansky said disappearing immediately after a big deal is a problem because it means the agent hasn’t laid the groundwork for future sales.
“Transactions take a long time,” he said. “You need to create your business so you’re already looking forward to the next deal.”
Umansky also said this particular moment is a challenging one because many sellers have unrealistic expectations about the value of their homes. But agents who aren’t honest with their clients will only make matters worse.
“This is a recipe for disaster,” Umansky said. “This can cause you to lose your listing and spend a fortune on it.”
Among other things, Umansky on Wednesday urged agents to dress professionally, have a deep and unique understanding of the market, wake up early and allow themselves to “show up with their own mindset.”
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