Ep #38: How Jeff Kadlec Gets Buyer Referrals Teaching Classes for Real Estate Agents

Jeff Kadlec explains how he replaced one-on-one agent lunches with group classes on video marketing for real estate agents, generating 4-6 referral deals per month from just 6 classes. LOs tired of no-show coffee meetings and cold calling will find a concrete alternative system here.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Stop scheduling one-on-one agent lunches. Swap them for group lunch-and-learn classes on a topic agents care about (video marketing, millennial marketing, content marketing) — 6 agents in a room beats 6 separate lunches that half won't attend.
• Before your class, ask your title rep to pull an MTA production report. Identify the top-producing agents who registered on Eventbrite and give them extra attention during the presentation.
• Build your event promotion team: partner with 1-2 title reps and an insurance agent, blast the invite to their combined email databases, post a Facebook video in local real estate agent Facebook groups, and set up Eventbrite registration for head count and pre-event data.
• Have your assistant make reminder calls to all registrants before the event. If you're presenting at a brokerage, ask the broker's in-house marketing person to send reminder emails and record a short broker video promoting the class — frame it as a recruiting tool for their office.
• Use a takeaway close, not a sales pitch: tell the room 'My goal today is to help you get one or two extra deals this year. We are looking for a select few partners — not everyone is a fit — if you're interested, fill out the form in your folder.' Let agents self-select and stack up to talk to you after.
• To get into a new brokerage, ask for just 5 minutes at their next office meeting to preview an upcoming class you're hosting in 30 days, and hand out a flyer. Bring your title rep — they already have the relationship and can get you in the door faster.

The playbook

1. 1. Identify a hot topic agents want (e.g., '15 Essential Videos for Real Estate Agents').
2. 2. Partner with title rep(s) and insurance agent to co-promote and share combined email database.
3. 3. Create an Eventbrite listing; blast the invite via email and post a Facebook video in local real estate agent groups.
4. 4. Pull MTA production report from title rep; note top producers who registered.
5. 5. Have assistant make reminder calls to all registrants 24-48 hours before event.
6. 6. Present the class — open by stating you are NOT there to talk about loans, your goal is one or two extra deals for them this year.
7. 7. Hand each attendee a folder: feedback form, one content script/resource from the class, and a one-page list of your niche programs (mention briefly, don't pitch).
8. 8. Close with the select-partner takeaway: 'We're looking for a few select partners — fill out the form if interested.'
9. 9. After class, collect contact info from agents who approach you; schedule one-on-ones. Anyone you can't get to immediately, say 'Let me get your card and I'll call you to set a time.'
10. 10. Ask agents who attended if you can come do the same class inside their brokerage office; use new broker relationships as referrals into more offices.

Worth quoting

“If I can get one or two extra deals for you this year, that's my goal today.”

“You just come in here with an approach of non-salesing. You just pour this great information on us and walk out without asking for anything.”

Best for

LOs who are still doing one-on-one agent coffee meetings and getting stood up, who want a repeatable group-class system to add 4-6 referral deals per month.