On this Episode, Aaron chats with Glennda Baker, a recognizable icon in real estate, content creating, and personal branding. She shares personal stories on how she continues to distinguish herself in the world of social media, founded on honest, practical storytelling and relationship building.
Today, you’ll be hearing from Glennda Baker, real estate agent, content creator, and marketing guru. Known for her authentic, direct style of communication, Glennda continues to succeed in the real estate business after almost 30 years soley through referrals.
Aaron and Glennda sit down to discuss how she’s pioneered an “agent-first” mentality, and why it’s important to be undoubtedly memorable. Her personal branding journey started in 1992 with a novel idea: putting her headshot on her business card. In this episode, Glennda shares stories on how she gets clients to come to her: from being authentic, to wearing only clothing with stars on it, to talking to strangers at an Atlanta Braves game.
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About Glennda:
Glennda Baker is a prominent and distinctive figure in American real estate, known for her innovative marketing style and superior networking skills. Specializing in residential real estate sales in the Atlanta metro area and all over the state of Georgia, she was the first agent in 1995 to sell a single family residential property in excess of $5,000,000.00. Her clients range from first time home buyers, builders, primary home purchasers, investors and luxury home buyers.
She's gained national recognition as one of Newsweek's America's Best Agents, a true testament to her expertise and success in the industry. And if you're on TikTok, you might just stumble upon her viral content, where she has a massive following of over 800K fans and 15M+ likes.
In 2021, she sold 2 of the most expensive homes on the market in America, and continues to be a thought leader and educator on relationship-building and personal branding for real estate agents.
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Quotes:
“Why do I think that people stick with me? Why do I think that people come back for more? Number one: I am relatable. I'm a normal person. I have two kids, my hair is crazy half the time, I'm not perfect and I'm not trying to be. The information that I'm telling people, It's not bullshit information. It's real. This is really what happens from contract to closing, from listing to contract when you show a house. It's real estate, in real life, in real time. So it makes it very, very relevant.” - Glennda Baker
“It's about people. It's about what people do in houses. It's about how people live in houses. And as soon as you figure that out and you can tell the story about that, I think that that's what people love the most.” - Glennda Baker
“I have learned that I would much rather control the narrative of Glennda more than I want anybody else to, and video gave me the opportunity to really be myself, demonstrate my expertise, demonstrate my knowledge… There is no better source than you to curate the narrative of your life, and your business.” - Glennda Baker
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Time Stamps:
(2:45) Glennda’s First Steps in making content
(7:39) What really resonates with your audience?
(10:28) Storytelling is #1
(16:47) “Oh, my Stars!” Creating a visual identity
(26:38) Putting your authentic self out there
(31:25) From TikTok to closing in 57 days
(38:58) Listening leads to clients
(42:25) What’s next for Glennda Baker
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Connect with Glennda Baker:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenndabaker/
https://www.tiktok.com/@glenndabaker
https://www.instagram.com/glenndabaker/
Follow Estate Media:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatemediaus/
https://www.youtube.com/@estatemediaus
Connect with Aaron:
https://www.tiktok.com/@aarongrushowhomes
https://www.instagram.com/aarongrushowhomes
https://www.youtube.com/@aarongrushowhomes
https://www.linkedin.com/in/423/
https://aarongrushowhomes.com/
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[00:00:00] Aaron: It doesn't matter what you do for a living. Standing out requires a high level of creativity, a healthy dose of ambition, and sheer grit. This is The Standouts, a show where we discuss, explore, and strategize what it takes to achieve the extraordinary. It's about finding your edge and learning how to leverage that for your own success.
[00:00:21] Aaron: I'm your host Aaron Gruscio. Get ready to be inspired to blaze your own path. My guest today is a veteran real estate agent. Many of you know her as a content creation, social media sensation, taking over TikTok and short form video content. She collectively has over a million followers and has built a remarkable online community.
[00:00:45] Aaron: Glennda Baker, welcome to The Standouts.
[00:00:48] Glennda: Aaron, I am excited to be here today. I know it took a while to nail me down. I'm a little bit more jello. So I appreciate your persistence. I'm excited to spend some time with you today.
[00:01:01] Aaron: No worries. Totally understand. Uh, we live hectic lives doing what we do.
[00:01:05] Aaron: I want to share something that's changing the game for agents.
[00:01:09] Aaron: If you SignMore yet, listen up. Real estate has never been more 24 7. And with leads and clients calling around the clock, being available to capture every opportunity is core to growing your business. And trust me, you don't want to rely on voicemail. You want to show that you care, and the best way to do that is by having a real person answering your phone.
[00:01:28] Aaron: That's where Signmore comes in. Day or night, your business is supported by property receptionists answering your calls, qualifying your leads, and scheduling your appointments. Along with 5 star service from real people, Signmore comes with a range of leading technology. This includes a mobile app, CRM integrations, live chat widget, appointment scheduling software, and my personal favorite, your own business number so you can keep your personal number private.
[00:01:53] Aaron: As a sponsor of this podcast, I got a promo for all of you listening right now. Go to signmore. com slash Aaron. That's signmore. com forward slash Aaron A A R O N to get 30 percent off your first three months on Signmore's best value plan.
[00:02:08] Aaron: Let's start by you sharing a little bit about yourself and your journey up until this point.
[00:02:13] Glennda: Oh my stars and stripes. Okay, so my name is Glenda Baker. I'm a real estate agent in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been selling real estate since Jesus was a baby. So nearly 31 years. Wow. Obviously I started when I was 12. Um, but you know, it doesn't even seem like work to me. Um, I, I would say, you know, don't tell anybody, but just between me and you, uh, I would do this for free.
[00:02:39] Glennda: I remember when my son, who is now 22, he's in fourth, he was in fourth grade. And the teacher, they did a project about what does your mom do, what does your dad do, what do you want to do when you grow up? And his answer to what does your mom do is... She doesn't do anything but talk on the phone and sell houses to her friends.
[00:03:02] Glennda: And I thought to myself, wow, you know, he thinks, he sees that it's a dream job for me. And it really is. And that's what I do is I talk on the phone and sell houses to my friends. And if they're not friends when they start, they're friends when we end. And, you know, I just love it. Um, about two and a half years ago, I, I, um, started.
[00:03:22] Glennda: Um, what I would say organized video content posting, um, I actually started my video journey back in 2016 with my first ever GlendaLive. That kind of developed into posts from the Porsche in 2017. And then, uh, late in 2020, I decided to start posting on TikTok. And, uh, hired a, uh, videographer. And had an idea of what I wanted to do and then went from there.
[00:03:54] Aaron: I love that and I want to touch on so many of those things you just mentioned. Uh, you've been selling real estate for 30 years and then about three to five years ago you started to create content. What inspired you to, to put yourself out there and, and go hard with the content online?
[00:04:12] Glennda: Well, back in 2016, for me, you know, I had a coach and he was telling me, you should do video, you should do video, you should do video.
[00:04:21] Glennda: And, you know, being raised as an only child, I, I talked to myself in the mirror, so the phone, the camera was really like talking to myself in the mirror. And I started on Facebook, and, and that's where everybody knew me, like all of those people were like really my friends, like they were really my friends.
[00:04:41] Glennda: And so it seemed like a really safe place for me. But what inspired me, I guess, to do the organized video. Uh, creation and posting was when I saw a, um, uh, another real estate agent. He had 43, 000 views on one, um, on one video. And I was like, Oh my goodness, that's a lot more than my, you know, seven people on Facebook.
[00:05:08] Glennda: And so I thought, you know what? I think I can do that. And somebody said to me the other day, because. I was in an interview and they said to me, well, you know, how do you feel about being the most recognized face and voice in real estate? And I'm like, well, you know, I said, it's, it's kind of crazy. You know, I can't even imagine I'm a 56 year old woman in Atlanta, Georgia.
[00:05:32] Glennda: Who would have ever thought? And he goes, With 344, 000 views on average a day across your video catalog, he goes, do you realize that more people view your videos than go to a Taylor Swift concert? And I was like, Whoa, so that, when he said that, I was like, okay, now that's a lot. Like, like I think that 70, 000 people in a Mercedes Benz arena is like a zillion people.
[00:06:05] Glennda: And then he's like, you realize like there's three, two and a half million views a week. And I was like, Oh, wow. So it's, it's amazing. It's an amazing journey. But what I love is like, people call me all day. Like, Bobby and Susie, The Average Joe, Susie from Sarasota that's a new agent, Nancy in Nebraska who is a fading winner who wants to kind of revive her career, Debbie in Dallas who just wants to do video.
[00:06:37] Glennda: I mean, they, they pick up the phone and they call me, Hey Glenda, it's Susie in Sarasota. And I'm like, she's like, I watch all your videos. I know everything about you. So it's, it's, it's great because people come into my home and they feel like they know me. Like, I'll be out and about, I was at church the other day, this lady walks up to me, she goes, I just have to tell you I love your videos, you've helped me so much with real estate.
[00:07:03] Aaron: You just don't even know. Incredible. Yeah. Yeah. That's so awesome. And you're one of the very few that I think have really nailed the content creation online. You said something that was very interesting. You have a large, large following, uh, get tons of views, tons of engagement. But that engagement is what I think makes you so special, your community that you've built.
[00:07:27] Aaron: Not a lot of people can say that they have such a strong community. Why do you think people are so drawn to your content and resonate so much with you?
[00:07:37] Glennda: So, you know, I, at first I was like, like, why are, why are all these people following me? Because like... I'm just like a real estate agent in Atlanta. And I was recently named as a global ambassador for Inman.
[00:07:55] Glennda: And all of the people that were picked were people that have been on television. And I have not been on television. And I was like, wow. And my friend who has a show, he goes, Yeah, he goes, I only have about 800, 000 people that watch my show a week. And I'm thinking to myself, I have like 2. 5 million a week.
[00:08:20] Glennda: Wow, that's crazy. So, why do I think that people stick with me? Why do I think that people come back for more? Number one, I'm real. I'm not walking in my stilettos looking for the septic tank.
[00:08:37] Glennda: I'm relatable. Like, I'm a normal person. Like, I have two kids. Like, I'm a normal person. Like, my hair is crazy half the time. You know, I'm not perfect and I'm not trying to be. And I'm, I'm, I'm reliable. The information that I'm telling people, it's not bullshit information. Like, it's real. Like, this is really what happens from contract to closing, from listing to contract, when you show ass.
[00:09:04] Glennda: Like, it's real. And, and, and it's in, it's in real time. It's real estate in real life in real time. So it makes it very, very relevant. Somebody said to me the other day, They said, I agree with you. It's real, it's relatable, it's reliable, and it's relevant. He goes, well, what's the difference with you is that you're raw and refreshing, and you're not afraid to be.
[00:09:31] Glennda: And I'm not, because I just look at it like, like, it's the truth. Like, what happened to me? Like, the guy who had been in my phone, who I'd sold several houses to, who I helped make hundreds of thousands of dollars on investment property, really didn't list his house with me. He really did list the house with the guy at the tennis courts.
[00:09:52] Glennda: So the average everyday real estate agent can relate to me. I think that they struggle to relate to some real estate agent walking around in stilettos looking for a septic tank. Like, that's not how we all do real estate. So I, I think that there's a lot of different things, but I think I'm not afraid to, to tell the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I'm proud of it.
[00:10:16] Aaron: I love it. Yeah, I think when it comes to Longevity online. Authenticity and value driven content are key. And you hit both of those so, so well. Um, I think one of the ways that you do such an incredible job at achieving that is through telling stories. I think storytelling is the best way to really show yourself, uh, show the authentic you.
[00:10:43] Aaron: Um, and so much of your content is, is storytelling. Tell me a little bit about that. How important is storytelling to you and your personal brand?
[00:10:51] Glennda: So it's interesting that you bring that up because I, I shoot all and post all kinds of videos, you know, tips and tricks and hustle and hacks and all kinds of stuff, but it is by far the, the videos that talk about an actual real story.
[00:11:11] Glennda: That resonate with people that, uh, really give people that behind the scenes, fly on the wall, insider view of real estate. And so, and it also, you got to keep in mind, I'm not posting, I sold one, two, three banana street with 50 offers, 500, 000 over the list price. For me, I'm talking about what did it take to get one, two, three banana street ready?
[00:11:41] Glennda: And so yesterday, I'm in a closing. This is a, you know, this is a 225, 000 teardown. This is a 700 square foot bungalow on an 8, 000 square foot lot. And this lady says, yes, when I met my husband, he lived there and we called it the shelter. Because it was such a, you know, run down shack. And she goes, but it meant so much to me.
[00:12:13] Glennda: Because that's where we shared our first kiss. Now, this man had dozens of properties. Dozens. I'm selling dozens of houses for these people. He passed away. He leaves these houses to his widow. And this 225, 000 house is where they shared their first kiss when they started dating as divorced. rebuilding their life because his ex wife had gotten the big mansion on the eight acres.
[00:12:44] Glennda: So, you know, it's those kinds of things that people can see themselves in. Like, they can, they realize, like, oh, this is where we had our first child, this is where we had our first kiss, this is our first home that we bought, this is, is where we did life. And I think that telling people Um, telling people's story, telling the story about the house, that's, real estate isn't about houses, it's about people.
[00:13:16] Glennda: It's about what people do in houses. It's about how people live in houses. And as soon as you figure that out and you can tell the story about that, I think that that's what people love. Everybody wants to know, what would you tell your best friend? Everybody, like you, don't lie. I want to know what you and your best friend are talking about.
[00:13:39] Glennda: I know you want to know what I'm telling my best friend because I got some great stories to tell. You want, what are you telling your best client? Everybody who doesn't know you wants to know, what are you telling your best client about real estate? And then, there's the salacious, the inquirer, the star part of everything, where everybody wants to know, what are you telling your therapist?
[00:14:03] Glennda: Like, you go to your therapist's office, you sit down and you're like, you will not believe this crazy buyer or seller that I'm working with. And so, that, keeping those three buckets, kind of using those as like, your guardrails of storytelling, that's really kind of where it all starts.
[00:14:24] Aaron: I think that's excellent advice.
[00:14:27] Aaron: Now, you've been selling real estate for 30 years, you have endless stories to share. What advice would you give an agent who recognizes storytelling is such an effective way to create content and build their personal brand, but doesn't have the amount of experience and therefore doesn't have the stories to necessarily share?
[00:14:47] Glennda: So great question, and I love it because you're right, everybody is not an old dog like me. But if I were a new agent... Everything that I would talk about is different houses in my community and how people could live in that house. So, you know, you're a brand new agent. You don't have anything to do. You don't have any clients.
[00:15:08] Glennda: You need to be looking at houses. You need to be in the street looking at every single house in your community. So when you're out and about, you can talk intelligently about real estate. Now, you sit down and, you know, I always eat out, or I'm at the grocery store, I'm running around, I'm at the dry cleaners, I'm here, I'm there, and I run into you and I'm like hey Aaron how's it going and you're like, great, Glennda, how are you?
[00:15:32] Glennda: You know, living the dream, selling houses every day. Oh, that's right, you're in real estate. I am in real estate. You know, can you believe that house around the corner? House is listed at 800, 000. Do you think somebody's gonna pay 800, 000? No, Glenda. Oh my gosh, you should see the purple bedroom. So, all of a sudden, you know, let me, Aaron, let me ask you a question.
[00:15:52] Glennda: You're in the dry cleaner, like, what is the craziest thing that ever happened to you in real estate? I'm telling you, if I were a new agent, I, I would literally pick up the phone and call every person that I know and say, Obviously, you know, I just got into real estate. I'm not calling you about that. I just want to know, like, what is the craziest real estate thing that's ever happened to you?
[00:16:16] Glennda: And I would post that every day, all day. And I would say, oh my gosh, my friend Susie, you wouldn't believe when she bought her house, this is what happened. And then, all of a sudden, people are relating you to real estate. They are thinking that Susie's talking to you about her real estate nightmare because now Susie's going to do something in real estate.
[00:16:37] Glennda: So it's also giving you the opportunity to look like that you're talking about real estate constantly with people that you know.
[00:16:46] Aaron: Excellent. I love all of that. Um, great answer. You are clearly a master at personal branding. How would you define a strong and distinctive real estate sales personal brand?
[00:17:02] Glennda: I started to say you may not be able to see the star.
[00:17:05] Aaron: I knew you, yeah. Yeah, we have to get into the stars. How did that come about?
[00:17:10] Glennda: So my mom always said, you are a star. Punkin, you are a star. And I think the favorite outfit that the woman ever bought me was this little yellow cowgirl outfit with white fringe. And it had a skirt and a vest and it had white stars on this vest.
[00:17:30] Glennda: And she's like, Punkin, you are such a star. So I have always had this affinity for stars. And it was so funny because, um, and at first when I started doing videos, I was wearing all, I wore this, the first video I ever posted in 2016. I'm wearing this dress and the design on it looks like I have cow udders.
[00:17:53] Glennda: It is hilarious. Then I, uh, was wearing like all black because, you know, of course that's going to make me look thinner and a little bit of vanity. And then all of a sudden, I started wearing a star thing here or two and people were like, Oh, I love your star shirt. And then I posted a video once upon a time, I sold a big ass house and I had on this green army jacket with black stars.
[00:18:19] Glennda: And it's got like 70, 000 comments and probably 1500 of those comments are about that jacket. And I was like, you know, this star thing, it's got some legs on it. So I started wearing stars here and there, you know, just sprinkling them. And then, all of a sudden, I would get star shirts, I would get star dresses, I would get star earrings, I would get all kinds of star cups, all kinds of star stuff, I was looking to see if I had one right here, all kinds of star stuff, and people started knowing me from the star, and then they would show up in the audience with star stuff, and even the night that I met you, No lie.
[00:18:58] Glennda: So we were at a private party, I don't know, maybe 50, 70 people, and you would not believe the people that walked up to me and were like, I heard you were going to be here. Oh my stars. Do you love them? And I'm like, Oh my gosh. So it's, it's so great. I love it. And it's, I mean, the people that will post and tag me, you know, they're like, Oh, I'm channeling my inner Glennda Baker.
[00:19:23] Glennda: And I love it. But, but this is the thing is it's not just about the stars. The stars definitely gave people like a visual and know anytime that people see stars, they send me stuff, but it was the hair. It was, uh, the voice, my, my voice is distinctive. I don't think it is like, I don't think I have an accent, but people are like, Oh my God, you are so Southern.
[00:19:48] Glennda: And so I like, I don't even hear it. But I was at a function and I'm talking to someone and this man behind me turns around he goes I don't even need to see your face. I know that you're Glennda Baker because I recognize your voice So I think that it's multifaceted, anytime that you can see, touch, feel, hear, um, in your brand that you can take that brand and Touch all of the senses.
[00:20:15] Glennda: That's really where you want to go and today I would argue that Your personal brand is far more important than your brokerage brand or anything else. And I would also say that your face, your profile picture, being consistent across all of the platforms, is just as important as your logo. Because I think in 2023, nobody has proven more than Kylie Jenner that your face is just as much your brand as your logo.
[00:20:50] Aaron: Totally. I couldn't agree more. Uh, all, all excellent stuff. You gave some really good tips there. What are some other tips you may give to a new agent or just an entrepreneur looking to build their personal brand? It doesn't happen overnight, but how does one begin the process of, of building their personal brand in a way that you did?
[00:21:10] Glennda: So yeah, I think you've got to be consistent. So from, and I know that you're, you weren't even born for God's sake, but back in 1992, I was one of the first people to put their picture on their marketing. Real estate agents didn't do that. They put their brokerage's name and that was it. And, uh, the broker came to me and goes, I don't know about you putting your picture on here.
[00:21:35] Glennda: You know, you know, we're really, it's all about the brokerage. And I said, well, I read this book that people do business with people they know. And if they see your face more than once, they feel like they know you and they're familiar with you. I think this is a good idea and that broker said you know what I think you might be right and then everybody started putting their picture out.
[00:21:58] Glennda: That's why I think in social media when you are posting videos, when you are posting content, you need to be a part of that content because you need them to relate back to you the person. Real estate is a person to person business you. It is an intimate business and if we really believe all the things that we are saying, you know, big box real estate, online real estate is never going to take the place of the real estate agent.
[00:22:31] Glennda: You need to be present. So as a young agent building your brand, pick your picture, pick your colors, pick your platform and go deep and go forward and be consistent all of the time. Whether, you know, and I have one girlfriend, she's a genius. And she, orange is her color and that girl, everything she owns must be orange because in every single, in every picture, in every video, she's wearing orange.
[00:23:01] Glennda: And I don't ever see the color orange and not think about her. Same thing with my girlfriend that wears pink. So pick something that people, that's going to stand out to people because you're not here to be like everybody else. Because if you're trying to appeal to the masses, you are part of the mass.
[00:23:18] Glennda: Don't be afraid to be different.
[00:23:21] Aaron: Yeah, I totally agree. Consistency truly is everything in everything you do. Um, you mentioned platforms. Yes. What platforms are you putting most of your focus and attention on? What would you advise, you know, agents who are just starting to create content? Um, what platforms should they be focusing on?
[00:23:40] Aaron: Is it just short form media? Short form video, um, longer form. What are you, where's your head at?
[00:23:48] Glennda: I'll tell you, Aaron. So, okay, first let's talk, start, talk about platforms, pick a platform and focus on that platform for 90 days. Okay. Doesn't matter whichever one you feel most comfortable on that you will actually post on, pick it and post period 90 days, then move to the next platform.
[00:24:13] Glennda: Then move to the next platform. And you can continue to sprinkle on the first ones that you started on while you're focusing on the next 90 days. First off, that's the platform formula. Secondly, um, what was the question? What was the platform? Uh, what are you posting? Short or long? Okay, so short or long? I think that short...
[00:24:36] Glennda: Short is too short and long is too long. I think that you need to be somewhere in the middle. I think that that 2 3 minute window is golden right now. Now, I think that you've got to sprinkle in enough of the short content, and when I say short, I mean a minute or under, as a trailer to your 2 3 minute rich, fat content.
[00:25:04] Glennda: And then I think that you take that 2 3 minutes And you can catapult them over to something that is longer and education based or advice based, okay? So think about it. So you start with your trailer that's less than a minute. Then you get them to the meat of the sandwich, and you're talking two to three minutes about something specific or that story that relates to that topic.
[00:25:30] Glennda: And then once you've told the story in your two to three minutes, Then, you catapult them over to that longer, let me tell you, if Suzie, if Bobby and Suzie had done it this way, then there would not have been a disaster contract to closing. And then you give them the basis for the story.
[00:25:49] Aaron: Great. Yeah, I think you answered that perfectly.
[00:25:52] Aaron: And it all ties back to storytelling, just being authentic. Um, but I also think choosing a platform that you can be consistent at, if you're maybe not ready to get in front of the camera and start creating video, start with Instagram. Doing photos, start doing blog posts, just something that you can be consistent at and, you know, gradually introduce other types of content platforms, like you mentioned.
[00:26:16] Aaron: Now, I know a lot of people, a lot of agents, new or old, may have a fear of getting in front of the camera, starting to create. video content, whether they think it's childish or just not for them. Did you ever doubt yourself in the beginning? How did you overcome maybe those feelings of doubt or fear when it comes to getting in front of the camera?
[00:26:37] Glennda: Oh my gosh. So when I started, I did live video because I didn't know, like, I literally didn't know how to do the record button. Like, I didn't know. How am I going to hold it and do the record button? So, I just put it up in my car, on my little, like, uh, magnet thing, and I knew how to do Facebook Live, cause you just press live, right?
[00:26:59] Glennda: Right. Everybody likes me on Facebook, like, those are my friends. So, it wasn't like anybody was gonna be mean to me. So, I cut my teeth on live video, and I'm so thankful that I did, because had I not started with live video, cause you can't, oh, okay, yeah, no, I don't look good, yeah, delete. No, I don't like that one.
[00:27:22] Glennda: I said the word wrong and delete. And so with live video, it's out there, you know, you're just, everybody's watching. So, but it was because I would try and I would be like fixing my hair like, Hey y'all, how are you? So this is the thing is you're more worried about what you look like and what you sound like than anybody else.
[00:27:46] Glennda: So what I will tell you, I think that live video is the best place to cut your teeth. I think that doing, talking about something that is in the moment, the inspection that you just had, the listing that you just showed, the buyer that you just worked with, it's fresh in your mind, and it's something that you can speak with confidence on.
[00:28:09] Glennda: Clarity and certainty make you comfortable and confident. And anytime that you can talk about a subject that you feel really comfortable about, Think about the camera as your friend. So, this is a, uh, a tip that, uh, Macy gave. I did a storytelling video masterclass, and I had an actress come and talk about camera presence.
[00:28:38] Glennda: And she said, when you're talking to the camera, think about your best friend that you love to talk to. The person that you love to, that you feel most comfortable talking to. Think about that as the person you're talking to, and that right there was probably one of the best pieces of advice. I didn't know to do that, but that's what I did because I was talking on Facebook.
[00:29:01] Glennda: So, I've got news for you. 90 percent of all content consumed in the next three years is going to be via video. So if you want to stay stuck in the mud and not post video, I've got news for you. You're going to be a T Rex before you know it.
[00:29:25] Aaron: I couldn't agree more. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean,
[00:29:28] Glennda: there's... Post the videos and talk about stuff that you know about. That'll give you confidence.
[00:29:34] Aaron: Yeah. Photos, blog posts. You can't translate emotion and authenticity the same way that you can in a video. And I think that's truly key to building your personal brand and you do that better than anyone.
[00:29:48] Aaron: Um, I love asking my guests this, what have you learned about yourself through creating content and building an audience online?
[00:29:59] Glennda: What have I learned about myself? I have learned that I would much rather control the narrative of Glenda more than I want anybody else to. And video gave me the opportunity to really be myself, show myself, uh, demonstrate my expertise, demonstrate my knowledge. And had I left that, uh, to, uh, my brokerage, had I left it up to, um, you know, just other sources. Oh, well, Glenda said, Glenda said, Glenda said, there is no better source than you to curate the narrative of your life and your business.
[00:30:58] Glennda: And video has given me that opportunity, whether it's real estate. or dating or, uh, advice for buyers or sellers or agents. I have really had the opportunity to inspire, impact, and inform. And that is my whole goal.
[00:31:19] Aaron: That is such a valuable lesson. And you disseminated that so well. How else has, has your audience and your journey through content creation impacted your real estate sales business?
[00:31:32] Glennda: So, um, I'll, I'll just tell you about Zachary, 53 days from TikTok to closing. Um, Zachary doesn't know me from Adam's house cat. And that's an old saying you probably just didn't even do it. You're like, who is that house cat? But anyway,
[00:31:50] Glennda: Zachary did not know me at all. He saw, he started following me on TikTok and he heard my stories about selling the wrong house.
[00:32:06] Glennda: And he told me specifically it was those two videos where I wasn't trying to be perfect and where I talked about the pitfall of someone who didn't follow my advice and he said I knew when I saw that video that if I wanted to sell my house for the most money in the least amount of time I needed to work with you.
[00:32:29] Glennda: I've made over a million dollars. From people calling me directly from video and agents sending me referrals. If you think that being on video is not where you need to be, you have lost your mind. Now that was Zachary. Zachary closed on Friday. Now sit down. Grasp tightly. I mean, sit down. Down. I just got a referral from an agent in California for a $5 million client Sit down.
[00:33:10] Glennda: Now in California, y'all $5 million is some hu in Atlanta, Georgia, $5 million is a mansion. I mean, I'm just here to tell you right now, I mean, can you say $150,000? And it was literally, hello this is Glennda, hey Glennda this is Jackie, I've got a referral for you. Oh great, I'm going to send you the contact information in a text message.
[00:33:37] Glennda: Will you pay me a 25 percent referral fee? Absolutely Jackie, no problem. Here is the John Smith, 123 Banana Street, Atlanta, Georgia. I, I Google it. The Zestimate on the thing is 5 million dollars! I'm like, praise the Lord and pass the money. So if you, this is it. It's not just about buyers and sellers. It's not just about the impact that you can have on Bobby and Susie and the average Joe and, and, and just everyday people.
[00:34:11] Glennda: This is an agent who has never met me and feels like she knows me from my videos enough to refer me a 5 million client. Hello. Amazing.
[00:34:29] Aaron: All every day. Amazing. Yeah. It's your true testament to how powerful content is in building your brand online. Truly is.
[00:34:40] Glennda: I mean, think about it, Zachary was six, a $650,000 condo in Midtown, so that's, that's what I think people dog, oh, Glennda.
[00:34:50] Glennda: You know, how do you, how do you convert the people you know? Do you have an i s a? No, I'm the I S A. Hello, this is Glennda like, Like, Zachary calls me, like, hello, this is Glynda, can I help you? I want to sell my house. Oh, okay. Conversion happens in conversation, and conversation, if you're online, happens in comments.
[00:35:13] Glennda: But you want to bring those people to you on the phone.
[00:35:19] Aaron: Excellent. Thanks. How would you suggest agents should be converting? Potential leads that they... Get online, acquire online, whether that's, you know, comments or DMs. How do you turn that into appointments or further that lead down the, down the database?
[00:35:42] Glennda: So agents, a lot of agents, like they feel like they've got to sell themselves. They feel like they've got to be salesy. They got to talk the client into working with them. If you sent me a DM and said, Hey, Glennda. My name is Aaron. I've got a, I've got a condo in the Atlantic that I'm thinking about selling rather than picking up the phone and calling you and saying, Hey, Aaron, um, you know, I can help you with that.
[00:36:16] Glennda: Like I know all the, every unit in there, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Aaron, tell me a little bit about this. Like, tell me more. Why are you moving? Where are you going? What's your timing? Asking those questions. So, Aaron, let me ask you. In a perfect world, what does the real estate experience look like for you?
[00:36:40] Glennda: Well, looks like you selling my house for the most money in the least amount of time. I can do that. If you ask the questions, what are your expectations as a seller? What are your expectations as a buyer? What does the perfect real estate experience look like for you? Then you're going to tell me what you expect.
[00:37:01] Glennda: And I'm going to be able to figure out very quickly if I can number one, meet your expectations, manage your expectations, and exceed your expectations. And that is why people work with you. They work with you because they feel like they've been heard. They feel like that you are more interested in them than you are trying to be interesting.
[00:37:24] Glennda: So if you want to convert, conversion happens in conversation that happens in comments. And DMs. And if you are not getting in your comments, getting in your DMs, you're not finding a way to hunt those people down like a hound dog and get them on the phone and get in front of them. That referral today, no lie, no lie, sit down.
[00:37:46] Glennda: You're not gonna believe this. That referral today came in at, I'm gonna tell you, sit down. That referral came in at 154. Um, by 334, I have an appointment. With that person tomorrow. Love it. And that's the thing. That, that, they want a hustler. People want somebody who's excited that wants their business, that wants to do business with them and wants to listen.
[00:38:20] Glennda: And I know you're thinking, she doesn't listen because she talks too much. She's a chatty Cathy. How can she be less Leslie the listener? I really am. When I am on a client call, I am there to ask the questions and I'm there to get the information from them to help. But, um, you know, I, you got to be efficient.
[00:38:38] Glennda: You got to be focused and you got to be more interested in them than making them interested in you.
[00:38:48] Aaron: Wise words. I love that. How else are you capturing leads besides just comments and DMs? Are you funneling to a website? Any other way to, to sort of capture?
[00:38:59] Glennda: So, we do have a website, or we do have a funnel that the stuff goes to, but this is, this is what happens for me, and I don't know if this happens for other people, but people, people text me, they call me, like, like, it's very rare that we'll get like an email, but we get some emails that come through our website, we have a great website.
[00:39:24] Glennda: Um, but, but really the way that we do business is in the street, talking to people all of the time. I mean, whether I'm at the Braves game or at a Hawks game or at a charity event, you know, everybody wants to talk real estate and this is the other thing. And I think that people don't really, listening is an art form.
[00:39:48] Glennda: So I'm at the Braves game the other night and I'm talking to my, my girlfriend, we're at the Braves game together. And I'm talking to her about some real estate about a house that sold the neighborhood and the guy behind me hears it. He goes, Oh, you're in real estate. I'm getting married in December. I would love to talk to you because we are going to sell each of our houses and buy a house.
[00:40:15] Glennda: Ding, ding, ding. That's three transactions. I'm like, Oh, my store's in stripes. I'd love to help you. My name is Bobby and Susie. We live in Edmond Park. We want to live in Buckhead. So, I'm like, you know what? And he's like, do you have a business card? I do not have a business card. Oh my stars. You know, I was showing property all day.
[00:40:36] Glennda: And you know, I always like to leave my card at a house. So I left my last card at the last house that I showed. But, Aaron, let me do this. What is your cell phone number? I'm going to share my contact card with you. Then that way you've got all of my contact. And it's got all my Zillow reviews, my Google reviews, all of my social media so you can make sure I'm not a flake or something.
[00:40:58] Glennda: Oh yeah, absolutely. You know, 404 123 4567. I text him because if I gave you my business card, Aaron, you have my contact, I don't have yours. But if I text you my contact card, guess what? I've got your contact information. I'm saving it as soon as I get it, and in the notes section, I'm putting in there every single thing you just told me.
[00:41:29] Glennda: You live in Edmond Park, she lives in Candler Park, you want to buy in Buckhead, you're getting married in December, you've been engaged 8 months, this is where you sat at the Braves game, this is who you work for, this is who you were with. Every single bit of intel that I found out about you. And then I take it and put it in my crystal nose app, and it will tell me what is your disc profile, so then that way I know how to talk to you.
[00:41:54] Glennda: So, when you talk about leads coming in, it doesn't matter if you have a thousand leads, it's the quality of the lead that you want. That guy who's buying, who's getting married in December, that guy's buying a house from me. They're selling two and they're buying one. Praise the Lord and pass the money.
[00:42:12] Glennda: It's not about quantity. It is about quality of contact.
[00:42:18] Aaron: I love that. What's next for you? How are you continuing to grow your personal brand? What's, what's the next venture for you, Glenda Baker?
[00:42:28] Glennda: Oh, uh, Stars and Stripes. Okay, so, um... You know, I've been speaking a lot at a lot of different live events, so, um, I will sit down, I will be speaking in Spain at the largest real estate, uh, conference in Spain.
[00:42:45] Glennda: I'll leave June 27th, I'm all excited about that. So I will now be an international speaker, I'm excited. Um, I will, uh, speak at Inman, I love speaking, it really gives me the opportunity to... You know, get in front, see, touch, and feel. Live events change lives. I believe that. And, uh, there may be, there may or may not be a television show on the horizon.
[00:43:11] Glennda: Uh, so lots of cool stuff. Collaborations. Really getting, um, my courses. Um, and, and, and to me, helping agents level up. That's really important. Denver and I are doing our storytelling master class. Um, but there's just... Honestly, it is just an array of options that we're looking at and opportunities, and I can't believe that at this stage in the game, at this stage in my life, I'm more excited about real estate than I've ever been, and, um, it's moving so fast, and I just feel abundantly blessed.
[00:43:50] Glennda: Every morning I wake up, I almost don't want to open my eyes because I'm afraid it might be a dream. Um, but it just, it's just... You know, the sky is not even the limit, I'll be honest with you.
[00:44:03] Aaron: I love it. You're a true, uh, standout, Glennda.
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[00:44:47] Aaron: Last question for you. Something I ask all my guests. Who is your standout? Who is someone that you've looked up to, they could be in real estate, maybe not, that has inspired you to become who you are today?
[00:45:01] Glennda: Well, it's an easy answer for me because I was very close with my mother. My mother believed in me before I believed in myself.
[00:45:11] Glennda: Um, and I think that she saw in me what I didn't see in me. And as I have gotten older, I have kids, I have grandkids. I think that of all the people that have touched my life, my mother is probably, um, the most influential person who made me who I am, also makes me strive to be better every single day. And that's better in every arena, not just a better real estate agent, but just a better person.
[00:45:48] Glennda: And I, I am constantly inspired by. Young agents like you, you know, I, I did, you know, obviously did a little research on you and it's exciting to know that the new face of real estate has this compassion and intelligence and, um, not afraid to be in front of people. And I love that. I love that about you and I love that about.
[00:46:23] Glennda: Um, the next generation of real estate agents, and if I can do anything to inspire them, that's what I'm here to do. Like my mother inspired me.
[00:46:34] Aaron: I love that. Thank you, Glenda. If, for whatever reason, my audience is living under a rock, where can they find you online?
[00:46:41] Glennda: Hashtag Google Glennda. So you don't even have to put in my last name.
[00:46:45] Glennda: It's just Google Glennda, G L E N N D A. And you can find me on whatever is your favorite platform. Um, I started training Google about, um, two years ago, that if anybody puts in G L E N N D A, there was only one right answer. And, uh, it was so funny because I mentioned that on a, on a podcast, uh, about six months ago, and the guy Googled Glennda.
[00:47:13] Glennda: And, um, and he goes, Oh my gosh, he goes, you have like the first seven pages. Like there's nobody else. That's awesome. So wherever you want to connect, you can connect G L E N N D A. Google Glennda and I am there everywhere.
[00:47:32] Aaron: Amazing. Glennda Baker, thank you so much for joining today. Really appreciate your time.
[00:47:37] Glennda: Aaron, thank you. I appreciate, I appreciate you so much.