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From the Olympics to the Top of the Real Estate Game-with Hans Struzyna-EP90

Dec 1, 2020

During this episode of the Lab Coat Agents Podcast, host Jeff Pfitzer speaks with Hans Struzyna, a successful realtor, podcaster, and Olympian from the Bay area. After competing in the 2016 Olympics on the rowing team, Hans used the tools that he had developed from a career as a top-level athlete to achieve success in the real estate game!

Episode Highlights: 

  • Originally from Seattle, an area filled with bodies of water, Hans found his way into rowing at a young age.
  • Over 12 years of rowing, Hans went from taking lessons at age 14 to the Olympics at age 26.
  • A good work ethic and natural ability helped Hans find success throughout his college and Olympic team rowing career.
  • About 14 months before the Olympics in Rio, Hans had to stop working to focus on training, leaving him with some financial troubles.
  • Hans always held an interest in real estate, eventually getting guidance from an Airbnb host.
  • Starting as an ISA just over 4 years ago, Hans began shadowing his mentor and was able to close 9 deals.
  • Foreclosures and short sales proved to be the low hanging fruit where Hans was able to cut his teeth.
  • Hans sought out a successful team that was doing high volume sales so that he could learn from the best.
  • In his first year in the business, Hans closed just under $5M in his 9 deals.
  • This year, Hans’s 4th year in business, is on track to hit $27M with a goal of hitting $30M.
  • California’s housing shortage makes the Bay area an interesting market to become highly successful in.
  • Hans attributes his success in the application of his real estate education to his time spent rowing.
  • There’s more competition in the large coastal cities because of the surplus of agents and the shortage of houses.
  • In the 19 square miles of San Francisco, there are over 8k agents on the MLS.
  • You do not have to do all the new stuff at once, such as podcasting, social media, etc., but focus on one thing at a time.
  • Commit to consistently posting your choice of content and ignore any other metric along the way.
  • No one was born with discipline or success; they have figured out how to grow into these attributes along the way.
  • Decide what it means to be an awesome agent to your clients and how to do that for the long-term.
  • Become an expert at your craft and you will be able to separate yourself from most other realtors.
  • Hans made it a point to commit to the broker’s tour to understand the area that he was competing in.
  • To get on this podcast, a huge podcast at that, Hans had the backbone to flat out ask.
  • Travis Chappell taught Hans how to leverage his podcast to get in front of people that he wants to have a conversation with.
  • Always be open to getting on other people’s podcasts as it will get you in front of a different audience.
  • Ask yourself how to provide value to the host of the podcast while also getting what you want.
  • Successful people are willing to share their knowledge if you are able to craft the right message to get their attention.
  • Research the best way that you can bring value to those that you want to get in the room with.
  • The biggest problem with most asks, is that there is almost always an agenda connected with them.
  • Give away the knowledge that you have; that is the best way to give value to your clients.
  • If you are having trouble getting in touch with successful people, figure out a different approach.

3 Key Points:

  1. Joining a successful team isn’t enough. Young agents need to be willing to learn from a multitude of successful people and piece together what they learn to become their own successful people.
  2. Hans has been able to use his rowing experience in his real estate business by continuing to learn, implement, and execute new knowledge.
  3. Due to continuously evolving technology, agents need to do more than just push paper, or else they will be replaced someday. Become an expert in your craft.

Resources Mentioned: