Inman Connect is LIVE Aug. 8-10! Join us for impactful interviews, cutting-edge conversations and networking with thousands of real estate pros. Get valuable takeaways to thrive in a rapidly shifting market. Can’t come to Vegas? Register now for a virtual ticket.
EXP agent, coach, event creator and podcast host Claudia Inoa told the Inman Connect Las Vegas crowd when COVID-19 shut down New York City completely — one of the two markets in which the Montclair, New Jersey-agent works — she realized half of her income was in jeopardy.
“At that point, I had to be open to other possibilities,” Inoa said.
The agent shared that it woke her up to what else she could do to generate additional income as an agent, a topic certainly on the minds of many in today’s market.
“I would say I was at a point where I was just working, working, working for the awards, for the recognition of being that top agent. Always chasing the next listing.”
Inoa said that once she took the blinders off, she saw things she was already doing that could be monetized, like replicating the experience of attending industry events. She wondered why she couldn’t create her own events.
“I’m a great connecter, and through events, like [Inman Connect] I’ve always made a lot of solid relationships, and I’m here to enhance my knowledge.”
After the last Inman Connect in New York, Jan. 24 to 26, Inoa held a mastermind event with her network on artificial intelligence, and she had about 35 people join. It occurred to her that she could build on what she’s already doing.
“Why not monetize my years of experience as a practitioner? Why can’t I hold my own events? “People join people,” Inoa said. “There’s more than just the referral.”
Inoa now uses web platform Eventbrite to host webinars on sales strategies, marketing and other valuable industry topics.
She also started a podcast, called Claim Your Throne Queen, on which she discusses topics facing women in business, especially those faced by Latinas in a “white-dominated industry.”
“Did I know everything about a podcast? No. I just started and learned along the way.” Inoa said. “And now we’re having discussions about ads and sponsorships.”
Inoa encouraged the crowd to spend as much time investing in themselves as they do their business.
“We work so hard to get that deal for our clients, we just need to work that hard to seek the same opportunities for ourselves.”
“We don’t have to be just agents.”
