“Industry Orphans”: No One Builds Things for Solo Agents…Until Now w/Nikki Miller

Next Level Agents: The Kevin & Fred Show - Interviews with the best and brightest minds in the real estate industry

The real estate industry has always given people the ability to build a business on their own terms…unless you’re a solo agent who wants to remain that way.

Individual agents who want to grow without starting a team or joining a team have always been left out in the cold. There have never been models, structures and supports that allow them to scale without getting away from what they’re good at.

Their only other option is to stay where they are, stagnate and remain in the shadow of the business models that are hyped up from the stage. Nikki Miller found herself at this crossroads. She was a solo agent who wanted to scale or earn more without taking on all the overhead of starting a team. She also didn't want to give up her own brand for someone else’s. After being told there was no solution, she decided to build it herself, and The LEAD Syndicate was born. After being told it wouldn’t work, the platform quickly grew to 160 locations and recently got acquired by OJO Labs (now Movoto).

It goes to show that not fitting into any industry boxes, can actually be an advantage. A new idea based on your own pain point is worth chasing down because often, you’re not the only one with that problem. Yes, you’ll get resistance and even pushback, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work. In this episode, Nikki shares the story behind LEAD Syndicate, and why serving individual agents should matter to the entire industry.

Quotes

If you build well and show up correctly day-to-day, the success will show up. -Nikki Miller

When you’re coming up with something new, you’re probably on the right track if people don’t think it’s going to work. -Nikki Miller

We’re never solving problems in a vacuum, if we have a problem, someone else does. -Nikki Miller

Key Points

The truth about intentionally solo agents

Solo agents who want to stay solo are every brokerage’s biggest pain point. They are the biggest revolving door, the biggest time suck, and also a growing group. The challenge is they’ve always been underserved in this industry.

Why solo agents are often left in the cold

There are many solo agents who want to remain solo, but also want to have systems, leverage and economies of scale. They just want to focus on what they are good at and nothing more. The LEAD Syndicate was created as a plug-and-play solution for this group of agents. It provides them with consistent support in coaching and training, database management, marketing, transaction management and supplemental lead generation. The agents don’t have to figure anything out, the platform takes that off their plates so they can focus on what they do best.

Focus on what stays the same

When it comes to innovating, most people think about what will change and what will be new in the near and distant future. But sometimes the most innovative things come from focusing on what’s never going to change about the consumer - that’s exactly what Jeff Bezos did.

Your “weakness” is an advantage

If you think there's something wrong with you because you aren’t behaving the way everyone else is or you don’t have the strengths everyone else does, think differently. That thing you’re resisting is actually your strength so lean into it and figure out how to use that in order to achieve what you want.

Guest Info

Nikki Miller is the founder of The LEAD Syndicate and the VP of Lever and Agent Programs at OJO Labs. Lever is a first-of-its-kind platform specifically optimized for individual agents. It gives all the support, economies of scale, infrastructure, accountability, and training of a team without having to give up your personal brand.

Follow @the_nikki_miller on Instagram and go to https://lever.movoto.com/ for more information.

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