You may be familiar with Leslie Hogan, thanks to her strong social media presence! The Better Homes and Real Estate Kansas City 2015 Rising Star winner is a highly active real estate professional in the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate network. Aware of her accomplishments and reputation within the network, I was excited to sit down with Leslie and learn about her rise to the top. When Leslie Hogan launched her career in real estate in 2014, she could not foresee the immense success she would achieve in just two years, but she had a fierce determination. After a career in litigation and a stint as a business owner, Leslie had come to love and appreciate the area of Northland, Kansas, so she decided to become a real estate agent. She began working with Kansas City Homes and hit the ground running.
Though she started her business with a partner, Leslie soon developed her own business philosophies and goals to drive her real estate career forward. Learning from her mentor, another broker, she heeded his advice, “there is always something to do.” Whether she was meeting with clients, previewing homes, or doing research, Leslie was constantly working, always giving special attention to marketing. Her unique dedication and outstanding sales record are what led Leslie to win the 2015 Rising Star award. But how did Leslie go from real estate novice to top performer in such a short time? The answer is in her personal philosophy: “Quality over quantity.”
From the beginning, Leslie has gone above and beyond to provide each of her clients with the proper knowledge and expectations of the home buying process. She stood by them step by step, getting into crawl spaces, babysitting the kids, and being present for every meeting—fulfilling any task that was necessary to guide her clients and create a positive, productive real estate experience.
“I always wanted to empower my team members, and I feel like my clients are my team members.”
Even now as a top producer, Leslie attends every closing as a congratulatory and supportive gesture, stating, “it’s not just a transaction.” Social media has proven to be immensely valuable for Leslie, playing a large role in connecting with clients and establishing a broad reputation. Highlighting the value of social media marketing for real estate agents, Leslie names Facebook as one of her favorite platforms: “Facebook gets me a lot of business. Facebook gets my clients’ houses sold!”
Leslie frequently updates her professional page, bridging the gap between new clients and brand awareness, while staying connected to her community.
“Thinking outside of the marketing box.”
While many agents rely on Facebook for the bulk of their social media marketing, Leslie loves to add Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram to the mix! Savvy enough to create her own content, Leslie is sure to take a picture with each client during the closing and ask for testimonials, much of which lives as posts on her social media profiles.
For Leslie, real estate has been a “learn as you go” industry, but by relying on a true dedication and focusing on the client first, she has been able to create a long-lasting business model. Perhaps most importantly, Leslie remains open-minded about new marketing initiatives, forgoing cold calling and brochures for much more effective social media marketing. She is diligent about supporting clients through each aspect of buying and selling process while leading her team with a strong passion to always be better.
