Realtor Carlyn Costo

Intro: [00:00:07] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Woodstock, Georgia. It’s time for Cherokee Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Sharon Cline: [00:00:23] And welcome. We are live at the Cherokee Business Radio facility. Welcome to Fearless Formula on Cherokee Radio X, where we talk about the ups and downs in the business world and offer words of wisdom for business success. I’m your host, Sharon Klein. And our guest in the studio today is a realtor who serves the north metro parts of Atlanta, Georgia. She’s very passionate about serving her clients with honesty, transparency and a high level of customer service. And although she specializes in helping first time homebuyers, she is here for everyone. So we want to say hello to Carlene Costo.

Carlyn Costo: [00:01:01] Hi, Sharon. Thanks for having me.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:03] You’re welcome.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:06] Well, one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you today was because, first of all, the whole housing industry. Right. For four years. Yes. But you’re still kind of consider yourself a bit relatively new to the industry. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about your history?

Carlyn Costo: [00:01:21] Yeah. So I got into the business and January of 2021, which was a crazy time to get into real estate. Now, a lot of people, they say, Oh, my goodness, what a great time to get into the business. And here I am like, well, little do you know, it was probably the craziest. I mean, I’m so thankful. I’m so grateful. Business has been good. But, you know, it has been tough. It has not been without challenge, let me tell you.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:48] So it’s interesting because you started after the pandemic, right? Yeah. So well when.

Carlyn Costo: [00:01:53] We kind of during the pandemic.

Sharon Cline: [00:01:55] Yes. So it’s in the beginning. In the beginning was what, January, February, March of 2021. Oh yeah. And then so the next that next January is when you started. Yeah. What made you want to get into the industry?

Carlyn Costo: [00:02:07] So I quit my full time job with a large retail retailer in August of 2020, and I have always been interested in real estate. I some of my memories of growing up, my mom and I and the neighborhood that we grew up in, we would always they for the 20 years that we live there, they were still continuing to build houses. And so my mom and I, we would always go in and we would sneak into these houses like illegally. Basically, you can’t do that nowadays.

Carlyn Costo: [00:02:40] We would go into all these houses. And I think that’s kind of where my love of homes just started. And, you know, she kind of instilled in me this love of interior design. Like, you know, one of our favorite hobbies to do together is just go to all these home decor stores. You know, we’re always at home goods. And so, I don’t know, I just kind of fell in love with homes and interior design, and I’ve always had an interest in that. And so yeah, basically in 2020 when I kind of realized I couldn’t go any higher up on the corporate ladder, I decided to get into real estate. And I had a good friend who we both know, James, who was in real estate. And so it just was very intriguing to me. I’ve always loved helping people. That’s like a huge passion for me. It kind of drives me with everything in my life. I just kind of if I’m not helping, I feel like I’m not doing anything. And so it just gives me purpose. And yeah, it’s a huge passion of mine to just help people. And so that’s how I got in.

Sharon Cline: [00:03:41] Well, it’s kind of cool, too, because I was thinking about this earlier, how you’re a younger person in this industry and you are dealing with veterans, and I don’t even exactly know what would some how long someone needs to be in the industry to be considered a veteran.

Carlyn Costo: [00:03:55] I mean, you get a lot of these older agents who they are constantly boasting about being 20 years in the business and all this and all. That’s great. But, you know, it’s tough because I haven’t had 20 years to be in the business. I’m only 25. So, you know, when you’re comparing apples to oranges, it’s kind of, you know, it stinks.

Sharon Cline: [00:04:15] It’s not the best.

Carlyn Costo: [00:04:16] But yeah, I mean, it’s definitely tough, especially because I look like I’m 16. So seriously, like everybody, everybody questions my age. And so I feel like when you are younger and you’re trying to be super professional and, you know, it’s it’s tough. People don’t take you seriously when you look younger than you are. Like, people are always shocked. When I say I’m 25, they’re like, oh my goodness, I would have never guessed. And I’m like.

Sharon Cline: [00:04:45] Yeah, you know, get in line, that’s everybody.

Carlyn Costo: [00:04:49] But yeah, so, you know, just a few years, I don’t know, real estate, you know, it’s it’s not measured by the time that you’re in it. It’s more so, you know, your view on it and how serious you take it, in my opinion.

Sharon Cline: [00:05:06] Well, I imagine there’s a huge degree of involvement with different realtors and seller’s agents and buyers agents and what that must be like, given your work ethic and then someone else’s. So I imagine even at your age, having the perspective that. You do and the passion that you do, having to interact with another agent that doesn’t have sort of the same thought process about how important it is to be what. Reachable and responsive. Responsive, I guess. Is that the right word?

Carlyn Costo: [00:05:38] I mean, yeah, I always say, you know, no two agents are the same. So there’s a lot of people that get into real estate and it’s just a hobby to them. And I’m not here for it to be a hobby. This is my career, this is my full time job, and I take it very seriously. So, you know, it’s tough when not every agent tackles or handles their business the same. A lot of people, you know, they don’t care. This is maybe for fun for them or more so a hobby. But yeah, I mean, I’m trying my best and.

Sharon Cline: [00:06:14] Well, I think that’s interesting. It’s something to think about the fact that this is something that is almost like, well, my extra time, I’m going to sell houses. Yes. Whereas for you and probably many other people, it’s very serious. It’s your it’s your livelihood. Yeah, it’s your every day. I was thinking about this, too. How you don’t ever get to say it’s Sunday. It’s my day off. I know, I know.

Carlyn Costo: [00:06:36] That’s what I say a lot of times to anybody who’s kind of looking to get into the business because, you know, I think a common misconception about the real estate industry is that we have a lot of flexibility, which we do, but we don’t have freedom. So I think that’s definitely a misconception. You know. Yes. Are there Saturdays and Sundays where I don’t do anything? Absolutely. Tomorrow will be one of those days. I’ve got family coming in town and, you know, I just happen to have all my ducks in a row. But that’s not every Saturday in real estate is a lot of times, night times and weekends. And so and I think that’s another reason why it is, you know, it gravitates towards a lot of people who want to do it part time. But, you know, this is an industry that it kind of takes if you take it as seriously as I do, it takes your 100% of your focus and your energy and your time and you’re constantly consumed. I mean, at least for me, I’m constantly consumed by it. I’m always checking the I’m always doing something. I’m either creating content or emailing or phone call and, you know, just whatever I can do. But yeah, it’s definitely tough when there’s part time agents and they, you know, there’s a lot of agents too, that will only work 9 to 5. But, you know, I always share with any anybody who wants to get in the business that, yes, we’ve got flexibility, but we do not have freedom.

Sharon Cline: [00:07:59] Is there something that you wish you knew back when you were getting started, that someone could have told you that could have helped you out, that you know, now?

Carlyn Costo: [00:08:07] Yeah, I mean, that’s a great question. I mean, you know, I think that and this is kind of a life thing that your mindset is everything, you know. So if you don’t have the right mindset, you won’t be successful really in anything you do. So, you know, I think that was probably the toughest thing, the toughest obstacle I had to overcome last year with last year being my first year in real estate, that, you know, everything is kind of long term, nothing is short term, nothing is quick. And, you know, we live in a world where everything is, you know, instant gratification. We want things instantly. We want them now. We want Postmates and Netflix and the next episode and the next season and whatever it may be. And so I think that’s so easy to just have the mindset of like, okay, what’s my next thing? But for me, I’m constantly focusing on the bigger picture and the long term. And, you know, I think I’ve adjusted my mindset at least last year. It was a huge thing for me to do and to prioritize because truly, if you do not have that mindset that you know, your real estate business is everything’s for the long term, you will not make it.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:25] So beaten down emotionally. Yeah, I find the same thing for me when I’m doing voiceovers, when I’m trying to audition, audition, audition, and I just do the best I can. And then you never I just send it out there and just hope that someone likes it and you just never know if it’s going to have anything with fruition. I mean, obviously you learn everything that you’re doing and probably every house you look at, you download something you like or not like about it, whether you sell it or buy it or whatever. But I wanted to ask you as well, who who is a mentor of yours? Well, no. I actually want to ask you about marketing a little bit, if that’s okay. You would talked about how you have all of these different things that you’re thinking about constantly. Right. And if you’re not actually walking through a house or directly dealing with a client, you are thinking about your business. What is that like? What do you have to do?

Carlyn Costo: [00:10:12] So are you asking more so for like, let’s say, like today, for instance, I did not look at any houses. So today, or at least for me, I. I always have some bit of content creation in my day that is very important to me in my business. And I understand, you know, the fact that consistency is key. So if you’re not consistent, you know, you’re not out there, you’re not building trust or value with your customers. And so I’m always wanting to do something, at least in my day, that benefits me. So whether that’s connecting with somebody, following up with people who maybe six months ago said, hey, you know, I am looking to buy an August and I and the conversation by saying, okay, I’ll follow up with you at the end of July, I make sure that, you know, I’ve got those things. I will get things organized paperwork, you know, I do emails, whatever. Let’s say if I’m in a in the middle of a transaction, you know, I’ve got to follow up with those types of things. You know, it’s kind of just the day, day to day, little tiny tasks that collectively form to build out my day. Now, I mean, the thing about real estate, like I said, there’s a lot of flexibility. So, you know, I may not work 8 hours in a day, but there are certainly days where I wake up and real estates all I’ve done all day. So like given, you know, let’s say I’ve got a few transactions going on at once, that’s a lot in a 30 day time span to, you know, kind of sit down, organize, make sure all the time frames are going well. Anything in the contract that needs to be done is being handled that I’m connecting with the closing attorney, the lender, my clients, you know, everybody on a regular basis. But yeah, so really the only consistent thing I do in my day is going to be content creation. So Instagram, that’s really primarily where I live. I’m trying to go out to tech talk.

Speaker4: [00:12:16] But it’s a little.

Carlyn Costo: [00:12:18] It’s a little intimidating, it’s a little bit scary. So I’m trying to get there. But yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:12:23] Do you feel like I don’t know if it’s your generation or if it’s I mean, I think it’s just the nature of our world is so social media. Yes, it is. Do you feel like there are some real estate agents or real tours that don’t use social media?

Carlyn Costo: [00:12:41] Oh, yes, absolutely.

Sharon Cline: [00:12:42] How hard is it? Is it harder for them, do you think?

Carlyn Costo: [00:12:45] I think so, just because so I’m kind of one of those people that if I’m not learning and I’m not constantly growing, I’m not becoming better. So another thing that I do constantly in my day is I’m always listening to podcasts. I’m always wanting to be the most educated. And like I said, if I’m not learning, then I’m not growing. So for me, social media is integral. Now for another agent who let’s say they’ve been in the business 25 years, you know, it’s much harder to adapt, but you’ve got to adapt with, you know what? Well, and I’ll say this also, you know, maybe like a 50 year old is not going to be going after the same type of clientele that I’m going after. So I know my niche market and I know that my niche is going to be those first time buyers. Now, yes, I can help anybody and everybody in the state of Georgia. But, you know, just with my age, I know that those are the types of people who are going to gravitate towards me. And so I think that video is essential, especially short form video. That’s kind of where everything is geared towards right now. And a lot of people my age and I’d say most millennials are going to Instagram or social media to find, you know, whatever it may be. So realtors included, you know. So I think that it’s a huge part of business, but not every agent does it. Some agents are definitely stuck in the older marketing ways, and that’s okay because, you know, everybody runs their business differently. Everyone’s going to have a different perspective on it. And no two agents are the same, so nobody’s going to have the same business plan. But yeah, for me it’s huge.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:37] Well, you’re going to be helping me, I think in the future.

Speaker4: [00:14:40] Not all radio hosts know how to do that either. Oh, my goodness. That’s so true. I need help, girl. I got you.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:46] Well, okay, so. No, thank you. I wanted to ask you, who are your mentors who help who help kind of guide you?

Carlyn Costo: [00:14:52] I mean, I don’t want to say nobody because I mean, I don’t I wouldn’t really say I’ve got a mentor. So I did have a mentor at my previous brokerage. And she was wonderful. She was amazing. But, you know, like I said, there are no two similar agents. So it’s really hard to align yourself with somebody else’s business who, you know, you’re not going to structure your business their way. So. Yeah. They can have advice and ideas and they can, you know, kind of point you in a certain direction. But I think at the end of the day, it’s really about asking yourself how you want your business to look and what’s important to you, what kind of values are matter to you. So I mean, this is kind of silly, but a lot of my mentors that I or I guess would say people who I idolize and then I want to align my business with, have podcasts and I listen to them. So. Or somebody like Ed Mylett. If you haven’t listened to his podcast, I highly recommend he is amazing life changing. But I mean, I listen to like Tom Ferry, I listen to Brian Buffini.

Carlyn Costo: [00:16:09] I don’t know if you’ve heard of Brian Buffini, but he is another huge real estate mogul and he is kind of also in the space of like lifestyle and just living a good life. He just changed his podcast title to actually like Living the Good Life or something like that. He’s all about that. It’s it’s a lot of, you know, just wellness within as a person and always becoming a better person and just being smart and wise about business. And yeah, and then I mean, there’s a lot of people, but there’s an agent. Her name’s Casey Rutherford. I love how she runs her business. She is a lot of times on social media, and that’s kind of how she gets a lot of her clients. And so, yeah, I mean, like I said, I’ve had the one mentor, Karen, shout out to you, Karen, you’re amazing and I love you. But, you know, it’s definitely tough because, you know, real estate is a self-employed business. At the end of the day, I work for myself and, you know, every agent works for themselves. So unless you’re on the team. But yeah, I mean, it’s a tough question.

Sharon Cline: [00:17:18] It is, I imagine, because like you said, you’ve got a lot of different resources. Yeah, I love the notion of someone promoting a lifestyle of balance and health because I can imagine it’s.

Carlyn Costo: [00:17:29] So.

Sharon Cline: [00:17:29] Important. Yeah, you don’t have the days off, like I was saying. So you could get sucked in at three in the morning because a house.

Speaker4: [00:17:35] Went on live. I’d be asleep at 3 a.m., but I wish I were. My goodness.

Sharon Cline: [00:17:40] Well, I also wanted to ask you, what do you think has been the most challenging? Is it balance?

Carlyn Costo: [00:17:46] No, I’d say the there’s a lot that’s challenging about real estate. And I think the most challenging part about real estate is that nobody knows how challenging it is. You know, it’s tough and you constantly have to like I said, you’ve got to have the right mindset. You’ve got to understand that everything that you do is going to you’re going to have results in 60, 90, 120 days, you know, 365 days. I mean, I’ve had people where I’ve spoken with them for leading up to maybe about seven months before, you know, I just sold a house and that was like a seven month thing. So that’s really tough. I think the other thing that’s really tough and it’s kind of funny because you mentioned this on your previous radio show, but is just feeling kind of what’s.

Sharon Cline: [00:18:40] The word imposter.

Carlyn Costo: [00:18:41] Syndrome. Yes. Thank you so much. It’s imposter syndrome because, you know, and especially with social media in this day and age, I never, ever want to come off like, you know, life is amazing because we always we all have our tough times. We all go through things in life. So a lot of times on social media, it can kind of come off like it’s easy and it’s fun and you know, you’re making all this money, which you’re not. And, you know, I think it’s just there’s there’s several things that are challenging. But if I had to choose one, it would probably be the imposter syndrome, because I get a lot of times like, oh, my goodness, you’re, you know, you’re killing it. You’re doing so great. And while I am, I am the toughest person on myself. And I don’t think I am, you know, so I don’t know. There’s there’s a lot to real estate. There’s so many pros and there’s a lot of cons. But I mean, I think just real estate as a whole, it’s tough. You know, you compare yourself, yeah.

Speaker4: [00:19:44] You compare yourself.

Carlyn Costo: [00:19:45] So much to other agents and kind of like what I was just saying a lot. Most agents, that’s what they use social media for it. It’s a it’s a shouting from the rooftops. Look how great I am because you want people to use you. And so I think that’s kind of tough to see every day from all these agents that I follow. And, you know, I love following other agents. I love connecting with other agents. I think we can all help each other. I have several agents who I meet up with on a weekly basis to go get coffee and we just chat all things real estate. But you know, it’s tough when you’re comparing yourself to people who are ahead of you who maybe got. In the business five years ago. And, you know, I understand when you say it out loud, you can’t compare yourself to somebody who’s been in the business for much longer than you because you haven’t had that time. But, you know, comparison is the thief of joy. And I try to just, you know, remember that always. And I try my hardest not to compare. But, you know, some days that gets you down and you’ve got that imposter syndrome that creeps up.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:47] I told you, I think I live in imposter syndrome.

Speaker4: [00:20:50] I think.

Carlyn Costo: [00:20:51] We all.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:51] Wonder when they’re going to bust down the door.

Speaker4: [00:20:53] Drag me out of here. They let you in here. Oh, my goodness. No, I mean.

Carlyn Costo: [00:20:57] Truly, I think there’s an element of imposter syndrome in all of us. I think we all think that way. But, you know, at the end of the day, you just got to recognize you are awesome and you’re doing your best and you know, your best might not be somebody else’s best, but hey, you are doing your best and that is all you can do.

Sharon Cline: [00:21:16] So far. So far, so good.

Speaker4: [00:21:18] Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:21:19] If you’re just joining us, I am speaking with Carlyn Casto. She is a realtor here in Georgia. And I was thinking how the pandemic has made things so difficult in so many aspects of our lives, but in particular, it was just super, super hard on your industry. Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about what you’ve seen happen? And I know it’s changing even as we speak, but that’s part of it, right? It’s like so volatile and unpredictable.

Carlyn Costo: [00:21:46] Yeah. Yeah. There’s a lot out there right now about the market. And I mean, you know, real estate is so hyper local. So me commenting is kind of more so about like Cherokee County because that’s really like my hub. But yeah, the pandemic, I think, you know, we had a really slow moment in like March of 2020 and then by I think it was like June of 2020, things like sped up. So what we thought was a terrible market in 2020, it turned out to be an amazing market, right? So 2021 was the toughest year to buy.

Speaker4: [00:22:21] Which is when you bought.

Carlyn Costo: [00:22:23] And this year, honestly, I mean, it has gotten tougher each year really. So I would say I mean, really, this year has been the toughest. I mean, I’ve had buyers like waiving everything and just yeah.

Speaker4: [00:22:36] It was.

Carlyn Costo: [00:22:36] Insane.

Speaker4: [00:22:37] I was right. Oh, okay.

Carlyn Costo: [00:22:38] But but we are no longer there. Really. Yes. You’ll get my email newsletter. And so yeah, I mean, we have seen a huge shift, like huge shift.

Sharon Cline: [00:22:50] In the last shift. Yeah, it was like a couple of weeks.

Carlyn Costo: [00:22:53] So I mean, you know, nobody can predict. All we can do is kind of look at the data of where we are at now. But I would say as for right now, and this is so, so dependent on the House, the condition of the home, the location, the price range. I mean, it’s so different and the below 300 from the 305 hundred and then from the 500 plus. I mean, even million over all those markets are very different. They could be the same location, very, very different markets. So, you know, it’s tough to say, but I think with like let’s talk about interest rates, I guess they were so, so artificially low. And the twos, I mean, that is artificial. That’s not you know, that’s not something that’s going to be productive longevity. And, you know, it’s kind of difficult when a lot of people, especially my age, you know, we heard about the twos and the threes and we are no longer there. We are in the fives. I think I just saw this morning, it was like 5.33, which is really good historically. That is an amazing interest rate. But when you’ve got people comparing it to the twos and threes, they think it’s terrible. But you know, a common saying in the real estate industry is to marry the home and date the rate. And it’s so true you cannot predict, you know, what’s going to happen. But if you are financially ready and you’re prepared to buy a house, get in the market, get in there, buy a house, because, you know, there’s nothing better than buying real estate and waiting, you know. Yeah. Are there going to be ups and downs and ebbs and flows? Yes, absolutely. And especially with our market right now, like we are heading towards a recession. Some may say we are in a recession. And I’m not going to say we’re not because we pretty much are.

Speaker4: [00:24:48] But.

Carlyn Costo: [00:24:51] You know, all the data just says right now that home prices are still going to go up. Interest rates, they are kind of on the rise. I’ve seen some interesting data these last few days that they should kind of top off in the fives. So in December of 2022, we’re looking around the five point twos, which again is it’s all a prediction. We never know. They could be wrong, who knows? But that’s what the data is saying. And, you know, historically, a home is, you know. It’s a huge asset against inflation. It’s your largest asset against inflation and your home, you know, it appreciates and we’re not going to see depreciation this year. We’re not supposed to see it really any year coming soon. So, you know, it’s been tough. It’s been crazy. I think that is why the market went where it did because of those artificially low rates who can’t afford a house really at a 2% interest rate. You’re basically stealing money at that low of an interest rate. So, you know, but now we’re in the fives. It’s kicked out a lot of buyers, which, you know, is really sad. I know it’s you know, it’s really tough for people right now, especially with rentals. Oh, my goodness. I’ve had friends who cannot find places. You know, it’s heartbreaking, but and I wish I could change it. I literally told a friend the other day, I said, you know, if I had all the money in the world, I would be a builder and I would build cute as heck little to bed to bath homes. I just like a little cottage, you know? That’s all that the first time buyer needs most. Most of the time. But they’re not doing that.

Sharon Cline: [00:26:31] Do you think people have unrealistic expectations?

Speaker4: [00:26:35] Yes.

Carlyn Costo: [00:26:36] Yes. Especially. I mean, you know, when you’re a first time buyer, you’ve got to look at a house as a building block. It is a stepping stone to get you into another house. So as long as you’re in that first home for two years, you are good to go. You’ve got to stay there two years and that is it. After that two year mark, you can move and I mean, you can move before the two year mark, but you’ve got to pay the capital gains tax, which nobody wants to pay. So that is not my advice.

Speaker4: [00:27:05] Do not move before two years. You don’t want to pay that.

Carlyn Costo: [00:27:09] But, you know, I think that just with all these shows that we’ve got in social media and all the stuff, Pinterest and everybody’s got unrealistic expectations. And, you know, I’m even in that because, you know, I look at all these houses all day long and I’m like, oh, my goodness, the pretty white and the wood beams and the gorgeous shaker.

Speaker4: [00:27:31] Yeah, and the.

Carlyn Costo: [00:27:32] Oh, my goodness. The quartz countertops and oh, my gosh, look at this faucet and the light fixtures and all these things. But, you know, realistically, you’ve got to think of ways to increase the value of your home. So let’s say you get into a home and it’s not, you know, the perfect house a it’s a building block to your next home. And B, you know, the fun of a home is making it yours. So, you know, throw up an accent wall that’s super cheap, super easy to do. You know, paint paint can really, really lift and increase what a home looks like. I mean, slap some white paint on the walls or whatever, you know, paint color. It might be it can change the whole room. Same with light fixtures, you know, people I don’t think anybody pays as much attention to light fixtures as I do because a light fixture can change the whole room. I mean, same with furniture, you know, it’s just it’s about maximizing your natural light and playing off of that that can make a space look bigger and wider and lighter and brighter. And when we feel like that, we feel more comfortable in our home. And anyways, yeah, there’s just, you know, there are certain things that you can do to make your home your own. But also you’ve got to realize that your first home is a building block and a stepping stone to your next one.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:51] That’s a good point. It’s small things that they can do that’s not going to break the bank. That will make a big impact. Yeah. What do you think is your biggest mistake?

Speaker4: [00:29:01] Are you okay? My biggest mistake? Oh, well, is it okay for me to say that I don’t really have one? Oh, I mean.

Carlyn Costo: [00:29:10] I don’t know. I mean, that’s like a terrible answer.

Speaker4: [00:29:14] I don’t want people to think.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:15] I don’t think things are, though, because we.

Carlyn Costo: [00:29:17] Are so far.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:18] You’re still new in the industry and so far you’re just trying to do as much as you can to not have a mistake.

Carlyn Costo: [00:29:24] I’ll say this, I’m very aware of myself, but I will say the number one mistake that I made and I’ve touched on this is my mindset. When I first got into the business, just like so many others, you know, you think, Oh my goodness, I’m going to be closing homes left and right and everyone’s going to use me. And that is not true. You’ll find out very, very, very.

Speaker4: [00:29:47] Quickly that nobody.

Carlyn Costo: [00:29:50] Nobody trusts you. You’ve got to, you know, spend that time and, you know, build your trust and your value. And no one’s just going to hand you the keys to their largest financial asset to sell or, you know, help them buy if you don’t know anything. So I would say my yeah, my mindset in the beginning it was a very tough obstacle to overcome.

Sharon Cline: [00:30:15] So, you know, the show obviously fearless formulas we talk about a lot about ways that we anybody in a. This can kind of get knocked down and even mentally, not just something that’s a major event that happened, but just mentally get knocked down. What do you do to get yourself out of a mindset that is not conducive to building your business?

Carlyn Costo: [00:30:38] I would say great question.

Speaker4: [00:30:40] Oh, my goodness. You think I have good questions? Oh, my gosh, you’ve had my questions.

Carlyn Costo: [00:30:44] I would say I’m a bit I’m a big podcaster, so I would either go to listen to a podcast or, you know, you hear a lot about like journaling and meditating. And I recently just kind of realized how large of an impact that has on your life. I don’t know, just kind of being really aware with yourself. And when you get into a negative thought loop of thinking, I’m not enough or I’m not worthy for this or I don’t deserve this, or why does life suck or why this? Why that? You know, turn it into what can I what can I learn from this? What can I do to benefit from this? What can I do today to help myself be better? Kind of, yeah. It’s just it’s all about mindset. I mean, really, like, your mindset is so important in life. I mean, it is everything. So if you can get, like, a handle and a grasp on your mindset, you know, you’ll be okay.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:51] I’m going to take that to heart. I can use I can use some adjustments in my mindset.

Speaker4: [00:31:55] We all.

Carlyn Costo: [00:31:55] Can, you.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:56] Know. You know, it’s very easy. Yeah. Particularly for me to get in my own loop in my head about the things I do wrong and.

Carlyn Costo: [00:32:02] See if you stop that loop and you recognize that you’re in a loop and you say, You know what, I’m not going to be negative anymore. And you stop yourself right there and you say three positive things or what you’re grateful for. You know, that does wonders for your brain and your mind and you know, or oh, I would love to say this recently, you know, everyone’s walking. But I mean, you know, I’ve always grown up with my parents who they walk like five or six miles a day, like every day. And so, I mean, just with all these podcasts I listen to, I just really realize the importance of getting outside in nature and moving your body. It doesn’t matter if it’s 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, anything will help. So if I’m like in a really bad mindset and I’m really upset or I’ve had a terrible day, you know, you get ghosted a lot in real estate and you have a lot of people who say that they’ll buy or sell with you and then you don’t hear from them for two weeks. And then you see on their Instagram that they bought or sold with another agent, and then you’re like, okay, you know? And that hurts. Yeah. So, you know, going for a walk that does wonders for you.

Sharon Cline: [00:33:14] I love that there are some endorphins that get released and can be helpful. I’ll be doing that shortly as well as I get out of physical therapy. But no, and I’m looking forward to it because I can tell in my own mind that not I feel like very out of touch with my body at the moment and how that affects a lot of the way that I think like this. The first thing I think about when I get up in the morning, it’s the last thing I think about what did I do today? Did I do anything physical to try to get me to connect back again? Because when you get an injury and you’re told not to move, it makes it really challenging. I didn’t even realize how much that affected my mindset, so I really I value that and I’m glad that you have that experience. Even for me to say, Yeah, I know Cali. Cali said it was good ways. Okay if I call you Cali as opposed to Oh my goodness, of course. Yes. I didn’t really specify. No.

Carlyn Costo: [00:34:01] Oh, my gosh. I tell everyone, I don’t listen. If you call me Cali or Carlin, I hear like the first part.

Speaker4: [00:34:07] And then I’ll. Yeah, I turn my attention. I’m like, Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:34:11] How hard is it to have repeat customers? Have you had any yet? What do you do so that because it’s an industry that doesn’t obviously you buy a house and you’ve got, what, seven, eight years? What is the average that people keep their homes? I don’t even know.

Carlyn Costo: [00:34:25] Yeah. So it used to be, I want to say like seven the number. I mean you ask ten different people, you’re going to get ten different responses. Sometimes it’s nine, sometimes it’s seven, sometimes it’s lesser than that. The trend usually is a lot of first time buyers will hold their home for 2 to 3 years and then sell. But I mean, that doesn’t take up a huge or the larger part of the market. So I’d say about seven years. That’s about the average across the United States.

Sharon Cline: [00:34:53] And you keep in touch with your clients it just to. Yes. And also for referrals, is that right?

Carlyn Costo: [00:34:58] Yes. Yes. So referrals are super, super important in real estate, or at least if you want to run the business like I want to run my business. So I’m strictly word of mouth referrals, sphere of influence. So sphere of influence is all the people that you know. And then of course you rely on word of mouth and referrals from clients, past clients, friends, anybody who knows you. So I do a lot of like I love Popeye’s, you know. I’ve got one coming and like August or September it’ll be like s’mores. But I love like cute little marketing things, sending out like little postcards. I just had one with a lottery ticket in it. I had a few different pass clients like send that to me that they won like a dollar or $5 or whatever. Off the scratch off. That was really cool. But yeah, I heavily rely on that. That’s really just how I run my business. A lot of agents, they pay for leads or you know, they’ll go doorknock and they just, you know, do a whole entire community of 90 homes and they go to every single door. That is not me. I know that about myself. And, you know, I want to work with people who know like and trust me at the end of the day. So that’s where, you know, it’s so important for like past clients and things to do that. But for them to do that, they’ve got to remember you. You’ve got to keep in contact, you’ve got to continue touching them, which is something that we say in real estate, a touch. It just means, you know, sending something in the mail or doing a pop by or doing a phone call or text or whatever it may be just to say, hey, you know, I appreciate you and I hope you’re doing well.

Speaker4: [00:36:40] So, yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:36:42] I love it because, you know, it’s all about relationships. Yes. So and that’s such a cute way. Like, how do you get your ideas like coming up with a lottery ticket idea and sending like a little card out? How do you come up with those?

Carlyn Costo: [00:36:55] Well, I cannot take credit for that.

Speaker4: [00:36:58] It’s a website.

Carlyn Costo: [00:36:59] So one of my favorite websites, it’s called Market Dwellings, cutest marketing, like mailers and cards and all this stuff. But I kind of knew as soon as I got in the business that this is kind of how I wanted to set my business up. Very, like you said, relationship. It’s so focused on relationships. So that’s yeah, that’s really how I do that now. I mean, it does come down to my idea with how I want to utilize the card. Like I didn’t have to put, I guess a lottery ticket in there, but I did. I could put a gift card in there, I could do whatever I want. But yeah, I cannot take credit, unfortunately, because it’s just an easy fix. If I were to spend time creating all of that stuff, oh my goodness, I would spend hours. I’m such a perfectionist. So, I mean, it’s hard enough to create like anything on my Instagram. If I had to create that, oh my gosh, I would never get it done.

Speaker4: [00:38:02] Let me tell you.

Sharon Cline: [00:38:04] Well, and there’s so many different ways. Everything’s so visual, everything so visual. So there’s so many different ways to market that. Right? Like, I haven’t even begun to think about it.

Speaker4: [00:38:11] I’m just like, Oh, I guess I’ll just. I know and hope it’s a lot. Yeah.

Carlyn Costo: [00:38:14] Well, and you know, when you’re getting started in anything, there’s going to be a learning curve. You’re going to. You’re going to figure out what works best for you, what you like, what you don’t like, what you want people to think of when they think of you. So, like, you know, I wear a lot of pink. I always usually have a pink water cup with me. I have like a pink laptop. Pink, you know, literally half my.

Speaker4: [00:38:37] Colors. Yes.

Carlyn Costo: [00:38:38] I mean, I love pink. But, you know, it’s funny because a lot of people know that about me and will send me random pink things. So I tend to like kind of utilize that sometimes in marketing. I’m very girly, you know, I love that. I just love like cute stuff.

Sharon Cline: [00:38:57] Well, what do you think is a common misconception about what it’s like to be you in this industry?

Carlyn Costo: [00:39:05] That it’s easy? I would.

Speaker4: [00:39:07] Say.

Sharon Cline: [00:39:07] Yes. So anyone out there that’s listening that is feeling defeated in some way or feels like there’s something wrong with them because they’re not succeeding super hard like they thought. What would your advice be to them?

Carlyn Costo: [00:39:18] My advice would be.

Speaker4: [00:39:20] To.

Carlyn Costo: [00:39:22] That’s a great question. I mean, I know I keep harping on this, but just coming back to mindset, I mean, you get your mindset right, you will get your life right. And I firmly believe that. And, you know, if there is one thing that you can do positive for yourself every day, do it. I mean, it can be as small as just smiling at yourself in the mirror. I don’t know. I just heard that on a podcast.

Speaker4: [00:39:47] So I just regurgitated it to you. But it’s your idea.

Carlyn Costo: [00:39:50] It’s your idea? Yeah. She’s like the number one. It was like Coldwell Banker’s President or whatever. I guess her name was Betty Graham and. Oh, my gosh, cute as a button. She I just listened to an interview with her, and that’s what she does every morning. She goes to her mirror and she smiles at herself and she says, That’s the nicest thing that you can do for yourself. And it starts your day off, you know, well. And if you start your day on a positive note, you will have a positive day, most likely.

Sharon Cline: [00:40:17] That’s so sweet because it’s free.

Speaker4: [00:40:19] Yes, it’s easy. You can. Do it yourself. Yes, exactly.

Carlyn Costo: [00:40:23] But yeah, I mean.

Sharon Cline: [00:40:24] Don’t even know how much that would impact someone’s just mindset.

Carlyn Costo: [00:40:27] Right. And and it’s even like, you know, it goes back to I don’t know if you’ve heard this a lot, but again, I’m constantly listening to podcasts and you know, what I am attracted to in podcasts is everything about mindset and business and wisdom and just aligning yourself mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally. I mean, you know, you’ve got to be in such alignment to carry on. I feel like just like a happy, positive life. And I mean, I’m not there yet. I’m still in my little journey here with it, but I just find it so interesting and intriguing that, you know, everything that you do in your day, you know those little minuscule tasks or you know the way that you talk to yourself, they all build up. So if you’re not talking yourself positively, you know, in your head, obviously not out loud. Maybe some people talk to themselves out loud.

Sharon Cline: [00:41:19] Oh, I do.

Carlyn Costo: [00:41:20] I berate. I’m like such a barrier in my mind. I’m like, you know, the hardest person on me is me. And if you feel that and you connect with that, you know, get out of your brain and just realize that you’re awesome. You can do anything that you put your mind to. And it doesn’t matter how hard it is. If you have got your mind set on it, you can achieve it. And it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how you’re going to get there because you will get there once you focus. There’s this quote that says what you focus on expands and it is so true. And it’s just kind of like the law of attraction. You what you put out there, you get back, you receive. So, you know, if you are struggling and you have started like a new career or you’re just having a tough time in life, you know, we all go through those things really kind of just try to connect with yourself at your core and, you know, just speak kindly to yourself, you know, even if that’s one little tiny thing that you do in your day, do it. Read a book, read Atomic Habits, read. You know, we have gotten so far from reading books, I’ve been so excited because as of lately, I feel like that’s kind of like a trend, I guess, quote unquote is.

Speaker4: [00:42:34] Yeah, like.

Carlyn Costo: [00:42:34] You know, everyone’s reading right now, which is amazing. But yeah, read a book, do something that’s good for you, go out on a walk and connect with yourself. I don’t.

Sharon Cline: [00:42:44] Know. I think that’s the best advice. And I love that you’re actually helping people right now, hopefully out there that’s you’re putting out there into the universe. Yeah, very positive. And hopefully practical tips for.

Speaker4: [00:42:55] People who who start. And I hope so.

Sharon Cline: [00:42:57] I’m going to take them I’m might take them. If anyone wanted to contact you, what would be the best way?

Carlyn Costo: [00:43:03] The best way? I mean, I guess you could connect with me on Instagram. You can find me at your realtor. Karlan. Karlan is c r l y n. That is my Instagram. If you want to email me. It’s that same thing at gmail.com and we can go from there.

Sharon Cline: [00:43:23] Yay. I hope you do get some some really great business and I appreciate you taking time to kind of spread something positive out there too, and give some people words of encouragement, because I know I can use them and I’m sure I can all use it. Everyone out there can.

Speaker4: [00:43:36] Too tough. Yeah.

Carlyn Costo: [00:43:37] Well, I appreciate you having me on. It’s been so fun. And you’re just such a joy.

Speaker4: [00:43:42] So. So are you mutual admiration? Yes.

Sharon Cline: [00:43:47] Well, I want to thank everybody for joining us on Fearless Formula. And again, this is Sharon Klein reminding you that with wisdom and understanding, we can all have our own fearless formula. Have a great day.