As one of the Top eXp Realty Agents, I’ve been building and refining our business plan for several years.  Every top agent will have a business plan and work hard to achieve their goals.  There are a number of things we have implemented to become a top eXp Realty agent and it really starts with desire.

I remember starting out in real estate and not really sure if I even wanted to be a real estate agent.  Then after about 2 years of working part-time, I made a definite mental shift in my thinking.  I decided that in order to become a great real estate agent, I would need to commit at a much higher level.  This was something I had done previously in sports and something I knew I could apply in my career.  After making this commitment to real estate as a career path, my business immediately took off and improved every year since that time.

Today we have a sign posted in our office that says, “Work hard and get stuff done.”  Real estate isn’t a difficult business to enter, but it is a difficult business to succeed at a high level.  While I’m going to share a number of things that we have done to be a Top eXp Realty agent, you’ll notice that one key factor is simply hard work.  Clients today expect an agent to work hard on their behalf and be a true professional.

There’s a saying I heard a while back that stuck with me over the years.  “If you have a big enough why, then you’ll figure out the how.”  Why do you want to succeed in real estate?  That’s a question I’ve asked myself several times and continue to ask on a regular basis.  One of the best things that I have found to clarify my “big why” has been to create a vision board.  I’ve created several of these over the years and I’m amazed at how much has come true.

Just thinking big and dreaming big doesn’t make it all happen.  At the end of the day, you need to put in the work.  Every single day, I’m in the office making my calls (follow-up and prospecting) to generate new business.  In today’s digital world, there are certainly more communication options than just a telephone, but what truly matters is that you connect with people.  Real estate is still very much a people business and personal relationships matter a lot.

Putting in the work to make connections definitely makes a huge difference in our success.  Related to that is the fact that you need to be a true professional.  Know your craft.  Do you truly study and know the market?  One of the best scripts that our team practices on a regular basis are the answer exp agents give to the question, “How’s the market.”   If your answer is, “Uh, pretty good, you want to buy a home?”  That’s not good enough!!!  You must know and internalize some specific metrics about the current market conditions.  This could be inventory, sales, mortgage rates, or some other story that relates to the reality of the current market.  The truth is that real estate is always changing.  And a great agent is able to provide insight into the market before asking for business.  Top eXp Realty agents all study the market and will readily give a more intelligent answer about the market beyond just stating, “It’s great.”

As you probably already know, nobody succeeds alone.  Our real estate business is successful because of the support of many people.  Nearly every successful agent will have their sphere of influence as one pillar of lead generation and we continue to do events for our friends and family that continue to support our business.

In 2010, I had a desire to grow a more team-based business and that’s when Josh Lavik & Associates truly began.  As my success in real estate grew, I hired administrative help part-time and then eventually full-time.  Then started bringing on other agents that shared our values and wanted to grow with us.  Today we continue to have our niche team within Madison Wisconsin and look to partner with other agents throughout Wisconsin and abroad.

Some of the biggest growth moments have happened in conjunction with a great coach mega team or mentor.  Trying to do real estate completely on your own is a recipe for failure.  Today we have several mentors in place and continue to collaborate with our group at eXp Realty.  There’s always another training or event coming up that we can plug into and grow.

Another key to our success has been a system for continuous improvement.  The book Traction has provided us with a great blueprint for building our business.  We have created a cadence for weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual meetings.  We have built operations manuals and templates that continue to refine our success.

The other key area that has led to our success has been having clear ways to deliver value to our niche customers.  We have created booklets, reports, blog articles, and other items of value for each niche.  The key is to find a niche group to bring focus to your efforts and marketing.  This could be investors, a geographic farm, a demographic farm, move up or move down clients, foreclosure, waterfront, new construction, relocation, for sale by owner, expired, luxury, and more.

Our team’s mission is to provide a better real estate experience.  Having a strong desire, solid business plan, and method to deliver value has led to our success as a top eXp Realty team in the Madison area and we look forward to connecting with others to raise the bar in the real estate industry.

Meet Josh Lavik

Josh began working in the real estate industry with his mom (Ruth) and felt somewhat uncertain if this was even the right career path. After all, his undergraduate degree is in Biology with an emphasis on Ecology and Environmental Science.

Josh loves helping his clients as one of the top agents in the Madison area. His adventures now include spending time with his wife and three active boys, often out wakeboarding, rock climbing, snowboarding and skiing, or out camping. His dream today is to help other real estate agents that want to grow along with us. In 2019, Josh and his team joined eXp Realty as part of their focus on high achievement and providing a better real estate experience. Today they are building a world-class organization with the absolute best collaboration platform for some of the brightest and most successful agents from around the world.

Ultimately, Josh Lavik cares about people and is on a mission to create A Better Real Estate Experience. Before, during, or after the sale, Josh Lavik and his team want to help with your real estate needs.