Held July 30-August at Inman Connect Las Vegas. On January 1, 2024, the noise and misinformation will be cut away, all your big questions will be answered, and new business opportunities will be revealed. join us.
Of all the difficulties of being a real estate agent, is there anything more difficult than being yourself?
In real estate marketing, it doesn’t matter how many views a social media post or short video gets if the subject of the view doesn’t show us who’s really behind the smartphone. The live broadcast will not be able to complete its first season.
Cracking the code of authenticity is why Tyler Mount, CEO of Henry Street Creative, wakes up every morning. This frequent speaker, coach, and consultant is unapologetically himself and is almost uncomfortable with who he is and what he’s good at—a rare trait in anyone, but when its benefits apply to helping This quality becomes invaluable when people find their brand.
Mount will be sharing his expertise on branding, marketing and (if you’re lucky) being yourself at Inman Connect Las Vegas. He is likely the only Connect speaker to have received an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) halfway through for his theater productions, including the musical Once on this Island Three Tony Awards and a Grammy Award.
Mount is also the youngest solo producer to be nominated in all four drama production categories, but his work as a digital strategist is equally impressive, having worked on President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, NBC, IBM and the Tony Awards themselves have managed campaigns.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Inman: Choosing a career in marketing or creative work is one thing, but why choose real estate? What are the needs of this industry that are unique?
Mount: I have always loved real estate. I worked with some of the top agents in college in Austin and was lucky to have their guidance. When I came back to New York, I worked in entertainment and editorial for a while, but then when I wanted to have my own business, that’s what happened.
I returned to my love for real estate, working for a well-known developer and then in Ryan Serhant’s office, but I loved working with leaders in our industry because I discovered real estate agents and their ideas for businesses There is a huge disconnect and how they approach their business.
My job isn’t a cure for cancer, and it’s not rocket science, but it’s bigger than business: it’s their livelihood. If I can sit down and chat with someone for 45 minutes back to back and gossip for an entire day that will change the trajectory of their career and change their ongoing feeling of overwhelm, then it was time well spent.
One obstacle is the transactional nature of real estate. It’s hard to convince agents that marketing is worth it; they only see money going out. How do you deal with this objection?
I always set my expectations very clearly. Anyone who expects a return on investment from my services within three months will be told they have chosen the wrong company and that will never happen.
Let’s be very clear. Anyone who tells you this is happening is either lying to you or unethical – we don’t want to work with either type of person. If we’re lucky, we’ll see ROI within the first six months. It takes a long time to build your brand and equity, and once it’s established, it’s difficult to generate leads from it.
I am a ROI-focused business owner; I will only be hired if my ROI is positive. It was simply not appropriate for me to charge a large amount of money up front because they would never work with me again. I’m not cheap, but I’m value-conscious. If you work with me for a year, you’ll pay less than an average commission check. If we can’t sell a house together, you shouldn’t be a real estate agent and I certainly shouldn’t have my job.
Why do you think authenticity is so difficult for some in the industry?
We must think about authenticity and not think like a real estate agent, broker or lender should. “Should” is one of the most toxic words in business. Who says real estate agents should wear suits, say “Yes sir, yes ma’am” and wear pearl necklaces? But in fact, it’s not.
Authenticity is not black and white. The real problem is that it’s not a business problem but a relationship, spiritual and psychological problem because from a young age we are influenced by friends, family and most importantly society to be what they think we should be . As children, we are constantly behaving in a certain way to avoid ridicule and hostility in order to fit in.
So commercially, that continues. People don’t want to look like idiots in business, they want to appear successful, so we behave in a certain way. For many novice agents, this means wearing a suit and tie every time they post a listing because that’s what agents do should look like.
Even as a speaker, I am professional. My number one goal is to have a great time working. But if you need me to wear a suit and tie and hate my swearing, I’m probably not the guy for you. I don’t want to police myself. If you want Taylor, you get Taylor.
The more authentic you act, the more times you get hired, and the more unapologetically you become clear about who you are.
What advertising campaigns or concepts in your industry are you loving right now?
We are moving away from traditional product marketing. We’re leaning toward user-generated content, anything that doesn’t feel like advertising.
Ryan Reynolds came up with a concept called “quick advertising,” which was a genius concept because he took real-life events and based them on them. If something happens to the zeitgeist, he can iterate with his content team and launch it tonight. This topicality is very important, it gives the impression that your brand is very smart and that you have a very smart content team.
Any other plans for Vegas?
Well, I have a weird obsession with Vegas. I go there every year for my birthday and stay no more than 48 hours. I didn’t want to stay any longer, but I was shameless. I always win big money. I’m not betting thousands, but hundreds, and just like in life, if you want to win big, you have to bet big.
I love Taurus Steakhouse, it’s the best steakhouse on earth. We always have a good time; that’s the goal. It’s not about winning. It’s about having fun.
Thanks, Taylor. See you at roulette.
Email Craig Rowe
