Case Studies
How research, strategy, and communication translate into measurable outcomes for real estate professionals and investors.
Book consultationAgents / Brokers / Developers
These case studies show how small strategic decisions, better preparation, and smarter database use lead to more listings, more deals, and stronger reputations.
A few years ago, our Dave Kohl moved into a brand new townhouse. Although purchased through a large builder, he and his wife went through a local real estate agent. One of the primary reasons for the move was being within a specific school district for the upcoming five year period. Another reason was being within walking distance to a commuter train station. Less than 90 days later, he received a Post Card from that agent saying, “Now is the time to sell!”. Since he had just moved in, the post card showed him that he was just another name in her database. Dave has not worked with her at all in the more than 15 years since that happened. FIRST IN will help you segment your database to only send the right message to the right people!
A broker was struggling to find luxury single-family homes available within a specific community to serve his potential buyers. There was a 4-unit property there which had been on the market for nearly six months with no activity. He reasoned that buying that property, tearing down the building, and constructing a new luxury single-family house would be profitable. Upon emailing several local investors from within his database, he got an investor to purchase, tear down, and construct. Six months later, he sold the brand new luxury home. The result was two commissions from the same parcel within one year. By knowing who within his database to contact, he generated the two transactions without spending any additional funds on marketing. FIRST IN will help you to sort your database for more efficient use\!
A broker had a newly listed home on a primary street when a major snowstorm happened. Right before the snow stopped, she paid her snowplow driver an extra $50 to plow the driveway before any others on that block. She braved the elements to drive there and take photos from across the street. It showed that the entire street and driveway were all clear. Within minutes, her social media posts had those photos and with captions like “My seller is already back from the grocery store!”. A couple weeks later, she secured another listing from a seller that remembered her posts and wanted “an agent that works that hard for her sellers”. FIRST IN will help you to develop local and custom strategies to drive more business your way!
An investor faced a seller backing away from a previously discussed $200,000 price.
Commercial / Residential / Passive
These case studies highlight how research depth, presentation strategy, and coaching protect capital and unlock hidden upside.
A client was searching for a commercial building to acquire which served a high traffic area. They told us about an available two-story building in a corner location on a downtown street. It had a restaurant at street level and office space above. Their research showed that leasing rates in the area were promising. We coach our clients to explore every possibility. When we pointed out that this parcel was zoned for up to six stories, the client was able to secure an estimate for major construction costs to add two more stories and compare against leasing rates. When the answer was favorable, our client was negotiating about “the corner office being tougher to fill” while knowing they were working toward a lower price for what would eventually be a four-story profit center. If the seller was a marketing client of FIRST IN, they would have been presenting the added potential of their property from the moment they listed it!
A small business owner hired us to assist in her efforts to acquire a business which could be operated from her existing warehouse space. She presented an opportunity which involved taking over existing product fulfillment agreements and was under “serious consideration”. We could not find anything in the paperwork detailing the average length of the agreements included within the purchase price of more than $200,000. The client realized the need for our attention to detail when she learned they were month-to-month agreements. FIRST IN saved her more than $200,000 by performing custom and thorough research!
A coaching client was going to meet a seller in two days about a property which needed plenty of rehab work. The client told us that they had been close to agreeing on a price of $200,000. He said the seller then told him that “Now I don’t think the price will still be $200,000”, and was worried about handling the negotiation. By the end of the one-hour virtual session, we researched and came up with several comps showing between $188,000 and $197,000. We added our custom presentation training. Our client was able to walk and greet that seller with “Thank you for admitting that the price would no longer be as high as $200,000”, and begin the conversation by detailing each of the comps. FIRST IN will show you how and why to research and prepare an effective presentation for negotiating your deals!
